Hannah Ritvo
Memorial Union voting Nov. 8, 2022
Registration and turnout was up at student wards for the Nov. 8 election. Memorial Union above.
Margaret Keuler, a 20-year-old junior at UW-Madison, skipped classes on Election Day to canvas for Gov. Tony Evers. She began her day at 8 a.m. at Library Mall, and ended the night at 1 a.m. at an election night party at the Orpheum Theater in downtown Madison.
“Your vote really matters in Wisconsin, specifically the youth vote,” says Keuler, chair of College Democrats of Wisconsin.
College Democrats of Wisconsin knew the youth vote was critical for success in the Nov. 8 midterm election, and volunteers worked hard to register students at UW-Madison and around Wisconsin. “Students make up a large percentage of the electorate across the state,” Keuler says. “Especially in a campus as big as Madison's, it's important that people turn out and vote.”
College Republicans of UW-Madison also worked hard to engage students in politics this year, says Bernadette Doray, a junior and deputy communications director for the student group. College Republicans of UW-Madison works to promote principles of the Republican Party and encourages conservative students to get involved in the political process.
“We urged our members to go out door knocking, especially for [U.S. Sen.] Ron Johnson’s campaign,” says Doray. Gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels, who was challenging Evers, and attorney general candidate Eric Toney also spoke at one of their meetings.
Democratic candidates and their surrogates also flocked to campus. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders both spoke at Madison rallies.
Gov. Tony Evers appeared on campus on Election Day.
Data from Dane County’s student wards indicate this work paid off in higher turnout among young voters on campus, when compared to 2018.
In 2018, for instance, 919 individuals voted in Ward 57, which encompasses residence halls Sellery and Witte. In 2022, this number increased to 1394. Similar trends could be seen in Ward 61, where turnout increased from 868 to 1147. Ward 61 includes students living in freshman dorms Bradley, Dejope, Humphrey, Jorns, Kronshage, Leopold, Cole and Phillip.
The percentage of votes cast for Evers increased in both student wards. In 2018, 76 percent of votes were cast for Evers in Ward 57; 83 percent went to Evers in the recent midterm. In Ward 61, support for Evers increased from 69 percent of voters in 2018 to 85 percent in 2022.
Nationwide, the youth vote turned out for Democrats, according to a network exit poll conducted by Edison Research and AP Votecast. This poll showed that 53 percent of young people aged 18 to 29 supported Democrats in Congressional races, compared to 41 percent support for Republicans and 5 percent for independents. The 18 to 29 year old age group had the highest percentage of voters supporting Democrats for Congress.
This was Keuler’s first post-COVID-19 election and she says she was shocked by enthusiasm on campus. When asked what issue young people are most concerned about, she quickly replies “abortion.”
This sentiment was mirrored by other students on Election Day.
“Roe v. Wade is the only thing I care about right now,” said Maggie Brock, after voting at a polling center at Hillel on Langdon Street.
Twenty feet from Brock was Danya Paley, a UW-Madison junior who works the front desk at Hillel on Tuesday nights. Her duties typically include greeting guests, answering calls and directing crowds as needed. On Election Day, she also helped individuals exercise their right to vote.
“People who weren’t registered and didn’t know if they could vote came to me and asked me questions. I didn’t always know how to answer, but we have a sheet here to help,” Paley said.
Paley voted in her hometown of Milwaukee and says she was surprised by the turnout she saw in both Milwaukee and Madison. “The door has been opening every five seconds and there’s been a line every minute of the day today.”
The race for governor this year was the most expensive political campaign in Wisconsin history. Both Republicans and Democrats relied on get-out-the-vote groups to increase enthusiasm for their candidates.
Efforts were visible around campus, with numerous get-out-the-vote groups overtaking Library Mall leading up to Election Day. Volunteers called out to passersby, encouraging them to vote and helping register anyone who needed help. For Wisconsin was one of the groups canvassing.
Ben Wessel, a For Wisconsin volunteer, spent the 10 days before the election registering students on different college campuses across the state. On Election Day he staffed a stand near Memorial Union, the polling place for Ward 60, which includes the university’s Lakeshore residence halls. Wessel said he volunteers because he is passionate about critical issues and the candidates who were on the Nov. 8 ballot.
“I care a lot about climate change. I’m really worried about whether we’re going to do enough,” Wessel said. “I know there’s a big difference between candidates when it comes to climate change, so I’m here to make sure that everyone knows where I stand on that.”
Izzie Behl, chief inspector of Ward 60, said student turnout was high this year and more students registered ahead of time than in previous years. Behl, a student, works the polls to make sure that voting is equitable and accessible for all.
“I want to ensure that nobody is disenfranchised…so people get a chance to vote,” Behl said.
Some students not as passionate about the process or the races showed up to vote anyway. Noah Harris and Trevor Garski, 18-year-old freshmen who voted at Gordon Dining Hall, said they were not particularly concerned about any issues on the ballot.
“We just want to exercise our rights.” Garski said.
Fernando Garza, a sophomore voting at the Hillel location, answered similarly when asked if anything in particular on the ballot brought him to the polls. “I’m not going to lie: not really,” he said. “I picked one party and then selected them all.”
Angela Major/WPR
Margaret Keuler, chair of College Democrats of Wisconsin, celebrates Evers’ victory at the Orpheum Theater.
Keuler ended Election Night at the Evers watch party at the Orpheum Theater in downtown Madison. After midnight, when Evers had clinched victory, she tweeted a picture of herself smiling and holding a “Tony for Wisconsin” sign in front of a huge screen showing the results of races nationwide. She tweeted: “We did it Wisconsin, STUDENTS did this Wisconsin!”
John Hawkins, UW junior and finance intern for Evers’ campaign, was also at the party. And he, too, is convinced the youth vote was key to the statewide victories sealed by the Democrats. “Overall, the people of Dane County, especially students, paved the way for Gov. Evers and countless other Wisconsin Democrats.”
