HCC Participates In National Voter Registration Day

On National Voter Registration Day, Tuesday, September 25th, in an effort to increase voter engagement and participation, representatives from multiple nonprofit organizations worked together as part of Fairfield County’s Community Foundation’s Get Out The Vote program.

At the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Stratford, students from Housatonic Community College, members of Bridgeport Generation Now and workers and volunteers from the Alliance Voice of Community Nonprofits and Habitat for Humanity of Coastal Fairfield County teamed up to encourage citizens to pledge to vote in the upcoming election and to register voters. Despite the inclement weather, the team obtained over 80 pledges and 15 new voter registrations.

“Housatonic Community College was thrilled to have our students to participate in this civic engagement opportunity,” said Dr. Paul Broadie, President of Housatonic Community College. “We thank Fairfield County’s Community Foundation for this chance to facilitate and encourage participation in the political process.”

"Participating in Tuesday's voter registration effort was an honor for me,” said Kellie Taylor, a HCC student majoring in Computer Information Systems. “I also had the privilege of collaborating and operating along with Housatonic Community College and three other amazing community-based non-profit organizations. We did quite well and the community was extremely supportive!"

The effort was part of a nonpartisan initiative from Fairfield County’s Community Foundation (FCCF) designed to fund efforts to increase voter registration and information access for all County residents, particularly those who are historically disenfranchised. FCCF’s Get Out the Vote (GOTV) program offered support to nonprofits and other groups to boost local efforts to engage underrepresented voters in Fairfield County.

Eighteen organizations were awarded civic engagement grants from FCCF to support reaching individuals whose voices are underrepresented in the political process, connect them to upcoming voting opportunities via nonpartisan voter engagement activities, and provide information on additional opportunities to have their interests represented.