ORONO, Maine — While many poll workers are seasoned from elections past, Orono residents voting at the Collins Center for the Arts had a good chance of being assisted by someone as young as 20 years old this Election Day.
"I've gotten to help so many people cast their ballot, register, get things set up," University of Maine student Gordon Young said while helping voters waiting in line to get registered.
For Young and other students with the UVote voter advocacy group at UMaine, working at the polls on Election Day is more than just a volunteering opportunity—it's a chance to help Mainers realize the importance of making their voices heard.
"Your vote matters no matter what, wherever you're voting it's really important to vote not only in presidential elections but local elections as well," UVote Student Ambassador Mak Thompson said.
Assistant Director for Student Involvement at UMaine Colleen Frazier said the hours of registering voters and answering their questions is not only a way to assist town officials but a great learning opportunity as well.
"Communication is a huge piece of it where you're learning to work with anybody, I mean you get so many basic leadership skills from doing this volunteer work," Frazier said.
With the help of the nearly 50 student volunteers, Orono Town Clerk Shelly Crosbi said first-time voters are finding the whole process a bit easier and less intimidating.
"It takes away that first-time nervousness of registering and casting your ballot because they're actually working with a co-student," Crosbi said.
For Daniel Huber, a first-year student at UMaine casting his first ballot, his first election certainly brought a sense of heaviness.
"This feels like one of the biggest elections I’ve been around for, so I just feel like I have to vote," Huber said.
But he added that getting help from other people his age has only made the process easier and inspired him to continue making his voice heard in the future.
"I saw another freshman forestry major out here helping people register—it’s just great to see people making a difference," Huber said.