Election Night at the UMC: How New Era Colorado is getting involved
By: Tayler Shaw
Young voters are turning out to the University Memorial Center (UMC) at CU Boulder, and the New Era Colorado Foundation is here to help.
“We are a nonpartisan nonprofit that works on youth voter engagement, so we make sure that young people have a voice in our democracy,” said Michael Carter, the communications manager of New Era Colorado. “We help them overcome common barriers to voting and we just get them involved in any way possible.”
Sitting outside the UMC, the organization has a tent set up, surrounded by white and blue balloons and volunteers asking people passing by if they have voted, and offering resources and walking people to the poll inside the UMC. One of the resources they offer is their “independent voter guide” that includes their recommendations for how to vote on certain statewide ballot measures.
“It’s such a fun campus to be on,” said Carter, who has been working since 9 a.m. on Nov. 3. “And I love that we directly work with young people because I think our generation is so important and often overlooked, which is such a bummer because we really like to care about these issues and we really do want to show up.”
With over 30 volunteers today and a larger voter turnout among people aged 18- to 35-year-olds compared to the 2016 election, Carter feels excited about the progress that has been made.
“I think people are really energized about a lot of the issues that we see around us,” said Carter, referring to the Colorado fires. “We see a lot of the things that we’re voting on just play out in our day to day life. So I think people recognize that they should make their voice heard and should take the steps they need to shape our future, reclaim our future.”
Carter hopes the excitement seen today continues forward, saying, “I hope– one thing I really hope is that people will have a positive experience with the election so that they are encouraged to show up again and continue to make their voice heard.”
