UVA Center for Politics holds first ‘Run with Jim...to the Polls’ event

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - The UVA Center for Politics and UVA President Jim Ryan are teaming up to encourage people to get out and vote in the upcoming midterm elections with the very first “Run with Jim... To the Polls” event.

The student led event invited people to vote early in person at the end of the run.

If you have not yet voted, the Center for Politics says now is the time.

“We wanted to encourage people to take advantage of being right here in the Downtown Mall and voting early,” said Clara Getty, an intern with the Center for Politics.

Participants ran from Madison Hall on Grounds to the Charlottesville voter registrar’s office on the on the Downtown Mall.

“We had about 70% student voter turnout at UVA for the presidential election and 2020, but we really just want to increase voter registration for those non-election years,” Getty said.

Carah Ong Whaley is the Academic Program Officer at the Center for Politics.

“I encourage people to think about what the issues are that they care about and then to find the candidate that best matches them on that issue,” she said. “If you don’t vote, your voice is not going to be heard, and once you do vote, you know, it’s an opportunity to let your elected officials know that you did vote and that you are going to hold them accountable on issues that you care about.”

The student council is also offering free rides to the Albemarle voter registrar’s office

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