UUP Press Releases

CONTACT: Denyce Duncan Lacy or Don Feldstein at (518) 640-6600
Lacy’s cell number is (518) 265-3114

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 8, 2006

Rock the Vote registration drive begins on SUNY campuses

The SUNY Voter Empowerment Challenge, a nonpartisan voter registration drive, kicks off at all 64 SUNY campuses on Monday, September 11th. Its purpose is to register as many students as possible for this November’s election.

“We’re encouraging students to exercise their constitutional right to vote to get them involved in the political process so they can influence government decisions,” said William Scheuerman, president of United University Professions (UUP). UUP -- the union representing 32,000 academic and professional faculty on SUNY’s state-operated campuses -- is joining with the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG), New York State United Teachers (NYSUT), the SUNY Student Assembly  and Rock the Vote! in the effort.  Rock the Vote! is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization formed in 1990 whose goal is to have young people take advantage of their right to vote.

Each campus is invited to compete to register the highest percentage of its students to vote. The registration drive culminates with Voter Empowerment Week October 2-6, featuring a number of events including mock debates, speakers, performances by local entertainers, voter registration booths and rallies.

This marks the second SUNY Voter Empowerment Challenge. The initial drive in 2004 registered 20,000 new student voters. SUNY New Paltz won the competition by registering 1,772 new voters or 27 percent of their students.

UUP represents more then 34,000 academic and professional faculty on 29 New York state-operated campuses, and is an affiliate of New York State United Teachers and the American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO.     

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