ORONO, Maine — On National Voter Registration Day, the University of Maine in Orono held a drive to encourage students to register to vote.
More than 100 students turned out to register to make their voices heard this November.
"Everybody has the chance to vote, so I think everybody should go out and just register and do it," UMaine sophomore Josh Cline said.
Students were excited about voting, many for the first time.
"It's a big deal. It's the first presidential election I'm able to vote in," student Forrest Perkins said. "I feel voting is very important and I'm finally able to do that so I really wanna make sure I can go and do that with no issues."
Sophomore Adora Olise is also passionate about voting in her first presidential election. “There's definitely a crazy political climate, and if we want a say, we can do our parts by signing a ballot, putting it in, and thinking about the rest of our future,” she said.
There were a variety of issues that will be bringing students to the polls in November.
"I'm interested in the economy, and I hope it gets better over time," Cline said.
Olise said the most important issues for her are "government transparency, climate change and fracking, women's rights."
UMaine's UVote program organized the voter registration drive with the goal of increasing voter turnout and educating young voters.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2020, 57 percent of people ages 18-34 voted nationwide, compared to 67 percent of all U.S. citizens over 18.
At UMaine, 73 percent of students turned out to vote in 2020, and organizers hope for even more this year.
"Registering to vote, it's your way to show how you feel about an issue and it's so important to have your voice heard," Colleen Frazier, assistant director for Student Involvement said.
There are a few different ways you can register to vote. For the first time, Mainers can register to vote online here.
You can also register by-mail or in-person at your local town office or city hall.
"It's really easy to register to vote if you're a citizen if you're living here in Maine, and we want everyone to have that opportunity to make a plan, get registered, and then be able to vote on or before Nov. 5," Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said.
For in-person voting, you can register to vote on the same day through election day. Online and by-mail voter registration are only available through Oct. 15.
If you're not sure if you're registered to vote, you can contact your town or city clerk to check.
You can find more information about voter registration and the election here.