Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum spoke at the event, telling students to engage in early voting. 

"In Michigan, it is so much easier for those citizens to exercise the right to vote because now not only do we have absentee voting, but we have early voting, a minimum of nine days of early voting. So students still have to register and vote at one of the two early voting centers in East Lansing," Byrum said.

Early voting locations in East Lansing include WKAR’s Studio B early voting center located in the Communications Art and Science building and the Hannah Community Center.

Byrum encourages not only students, but everyone to make a plan in regard to voting on Election Day.

"The students at Michigan State University are our future, and I want to instill that habit because they are our future leaders and they need to make sure they know that they’re members of this community and I want to encourage them to exercise their right to vote," Byrum said.

Regarding any questions surrounding the election, Byrum encourages those with questions to contact their local clerk rather than rely on the Internet for answers.

Political science senior Lucas Gravatt, president of MSU Pirgim, a public interest research group based in Michigan, said the organization’s goal is "100% voter turnout."

"What we believe in is if we give students the opportunity to vote, if we register them to vote, if we tell them where to go vote and reduce the information cost for them, then they will go out and do that and will vote people in what they believe represent their interests," Gravatt said. 

Gravatt said this year alone the organization has already registered 350 people to vote in Michigan. Speaking on crucial information students should know, Gravatt encourages students to vote earlier than Nov. 5 and to make sure those who plan to vote in person are at the correct location.

"It is so much easier if you go to the early voting center and ask them all of the questions you have and get that vote in because that is really what matters in the end," Gravatt said.

Dominique Stepp, program manager of One Love Global, a community-based organization based in Lansing and Detroit that focuses on racial equity, said she and the organization’s members were present at the rally to push students and young people to go to the polls.

"We are hoping to get young folks engaged in the electoral process," Stepp said. "Getting registered to vote and show up to the polls is one step, we still have to make sure that we’re showing out to our local elections."

Offering advice to students, Stepp encourages those who plan to vote to do their own research regarding candidates from both political parties, information regarding polling locations and make their own decisions leading up to Election Day.

"I know sometimes we count ourselves out and we think it’s only one vote, but that does accumulate ... and us moving as a unit, as a community coming together and showing up to the polls, we can really do some transformative change," Stepp said.

Ben Gardener, senior campaign manager for All Voting Is Local, a nonpartisan voting rights organization in Michigan, said the organization’s hopes for the event and leading up to Election Day is to know there are more options in voting rather than just in person.

"We were proud to support Proposal 2 in 2022, which allowed for early voting for the first time in Michigan," Gardener said. "We want to make sure students know about their expanded options for voting."

Lily Eggers, organizer for ACLU of Michigan, a nonprofit organization that works to protect and expand civil rights through legislation, said the state chapter’s goal is to serve as a resource for students and first time voters.

"We were happy to be at this event to talk to students," Eggers said. "For a lot of them, this may be their first time voting and we know that can be an intimidating process so we just want to be a resource and educate students about their rights to vote."

Eggers encourages students to take a longer look at the ballot and fill out sections on the ballot that includes candidates for the Michigan Supreme Court and local initiatives.

Arts and humanities junior Katja Shoup, election program organizer for Clean Water Action, said the organization’s goal is to inform students about the race with Michigan Supreme Court and this year’s nonpartisan section on the ballot.

Offering advice to students, Shoup advises to "vote with empathy for others."