Sec. Benson encourages GVSU students to vote during visit 

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson encouraged students to vote during a campus visit, and announced automatic voter registration has launched in Michigan. 

Benson’s visit September 24 was in recognition of National Voter Registration Day. Students, faculty and staff members had the opportunity to register to vote at the secretary of state’s mobile unit. 

The Office of Student Life's Community Service Learning Center hosted the mobile unit. It was also at the Pew Grand Rapids Campus September 23.

In addition to meeting Grand Valley community members, Benson spoke about the importance of voting to a class taught by Jeff Kelly Lowenstein, assistant journalism professor.

Benson recently appointed two Grand Valley students to her new Collegiate Student Advisory Task Force. The task force will help improve engagement among young voters and college students.

William Thayer and Eric-John Szczepaniak join 31 other college students from across the state in Benson’s new Collegiate Student Advisory Task Force.

In 2020, Thayer and Szczepaniak will work with the Secretary of State’s Office as civic engagement liaisons to Grand Valley. Szczepaniak is the current student body president and Thayer works in the Ottawa County Clerk’s Office.

Michigan's Presidential Primary election is March 10, 2020. For more information about voting at GVSU, visit gvsu.edu/service/vote.