Voting Awareness: October 17th I 2:00-3:30pm I Multicultural Resource Center (PSU 101)

The Office of Multicultural Programs & LGBTQ+ Student Services has worked months to bring Missouri State students a voter awareness event. Learn all about voting, advocacy, and become registered with PROMO and Paws to the Polls.

Who is Paws to the Polls?

Paws to the Polls is a nonpartisan grassroots campus initiative created to educate, offer voter support, and provide outreach to Missouri State University students.  The mission is for students to learn the relevance of civic engagement and how it embodies MSU’s public affairs mission.

Who is PROMO?

PROMO, Promoting Missouri, is this state’s largest LGBTQ+ advocacy and lobbying non-profit organization. First starting in 1986, this organization was founded as PACE (People Aligned for Change and Equality) with the goal of making Missouri fairer. At this point in history, Bowers v. Hardwick was taking place in the US Supreme Court, a case addressing sodomy law in Georgia. Shortly after, Missouri Supreme Court quoted Bowers v. Hardwick in a court decision and made extremely disparaging comments related to the LGBTQ+ community. From that moment, it was decided by local citizens that Missouri needed a new political organization, and that was the beginning of PACE. As the LGBTQ+ equality movement grew over the years, the focus became more dedicated to the LGBTQ+ community specifically and the name was changed to PROMO.

Why is all of this important?

Missouri State student voting data, collected from Paws to the Polls, shows that college students have the lowest rates of voter participation in the United States. Most recent data from 2020 shows that Missouri State students had approximately 63% voting rate which is the highest it has been in several election cycles. This upcoming event is a great way to ensure Missouri State students’ values and needs are being heard in our elections.