Welcome to Alachua County, Gators!
The amount of time each of you will spend here will vary. Many will stay four years, graduate and then head somewhere else. Others will stay less than four years, choosing to take their talents elsewhere before graduating. A large portion will go to graduate school here and then leave after that. And more — if you’re like me — will graduate, find a job and stay here.
Whatever your path might be and regardless of how much time you will spending here, you’re here now, and we’re happy to have you.
I want you to recognize and appreciate that your time here will be more fulfilling if you engage with the surrounding community. Get to know Gainesville and Alachua County. Don’t be afraid to venture off campus. Go to the springs, watch a play at Hippodrome State Theatre, volunteer with a community organization that supports a cause close to your heart.
And remember that a fundamental piece of being a member of a community is voting and participating in elections. When you participate, you are more inclined to research and care about issues related to the community, and use your vote as your voice in determining how you think those issues would be best handled.
With respect to voting as a student, you are in an interesting position. You can register to vote here or in your home county, whichever you consider to be your legal residence. The Alachua County Supervisor of Elections Office is not trying to sway you one way or the other. Our goal is to get you to participate — either here or in your home county. Many students maintain their voter registrations at home, choosing to go home or vote by mail for one reason or another. Others choose to register in Alachua County, making one of the first of many future steps in establishing independence from where they grew up.
Regardless, registering to vote or updating your registration is easy. If you’ve never registered before, you can go to registertovoteflorida.gov and do it online.
Just need to update your registration? Call the Supervisor of Elections in the county where you intend to be registered. For example, if you’ve just moved to Alachua County and would like to update your voter registration address to reflect the change, all you need to do is call our office at 352-374-5252 — between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday — and someone will be able to help you update your registration.
Our office, along with the Bob Graham Center for Public Service and other campus groups, will be on campus for National Voter Registration Day, which is Sept. 25. We’ll be at Library West, Marston Science Library, the Reitz Union, Murphree Area, Graham Area, Broward Area and Pugh Hall from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. that day. Come see us, get information on the November election and get any questions you might have answered.
If you have questions, I encourage you to reach out to me at tjpyche@alachuacounty.us or call our office at 352-374-5252.
