The Roar the Vote Initiative at RIT is a volunteer-based dimension of the Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement (CLCE) that assists students with voter registration, securing ballots for mail-in voting and providing them with resources to understand America's current political climate. Roar The Vote also strives to foster safe and civil discussions on the complex and multifaceted issues that are facing the nation.

Voting is one of the most fundamental features of a functioning democracy, but at RIT, only a little over 50% of students vote. This number is up from 36% in 2015, when the Roar the Vote campaign was introduced by CLCE.

Roar the Vote is a student-led campaign that helps students understand when and how to vote, as well as the importance of voting in all elections, not just presidential elections. As Grace Carlic, the assistant director for civic engagement at the CLCE explained, voting in local elections is just as important as voting in federal elections.

“There is a lot of information out there that actually shows that local elections and local officials have a greater impact on your day-to-day life than federal elections. We want everyone to vote in every election,” Carlic said.

The Roar the Vote initiative is primarily student-led, thanks to the work of students such as Regina Alu, the graduate assistant at the CLCE who graduated from RIT in May 2024. Alu was drawn into the CLCE through the Into the Roc program and FoodShare before joining Roar the Vote.

The goal of the program is to introduce students to the voting process, assist them in registering to vote, obtaining mail-in ballots and becoming more familiar with the electoral process and understanding how to interpret media sources.

“Roar the Vote also creates opportunities for students to engage civically through volunteering and hosting open forums where electoral issues can be freely discussed. Additionally, we offer debate viewing parties and initiatives that increase news literacy,” Alu explained. “By encouraging informed and active participation, Roar the Vote plays a crucial role in enhancing our campus democracy whilst remaining non-partisan,” she said.

Alu and Carlic both explained that Roar the Vote does a lot more than tabling around election season. With 2024 being a presidential election year, Roar the Vote has managed multiple events to make the campus community more informed about political issues and will continue to do so. Such events include bringing former Congress members to campus, Pizza N’ Polls discussions and special speakers on Constitution Day, among others.

“Initiatives like Roar the Vote are crucial because they significantly increase student involvement in civic processes. This not only impacts immediate electoral outcomes but also cultivates a culture of informed and active citizenship among the youth. Our successes reflect tangible increases in voter registration and participation, proving that young voices are vital and influential,” Alu said.

Roar the Vote has received awards for bolstering student involvement in the democratic system. Recently, the program was recognized as an ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge’s Most Engaged Campuses for College Student Voting for the high number of student voters on campus and for having an actionable plan to boost student interest in politics. Students looking for more information about Roar the Vote and the CLCE are able to do so on their website or visit their office on the A level of the Campus Center.