Election Day is today, and I encourage all eligible and registered voters at the University of Houston-Downtown to exercise their civic duty. If you are unsure of your respective polling station, I recommend HarrisVotes.com or the League of Women Voters site.

If you vote today, remember that you’re eligible for Voting Leave. Consult with your managers for additional details.

Civic responsibility runs deep at UHD, and I am proud of the many UHD community members who did their part to inspire others to cast their ballots. In this edition of the One Main Message, I will spotlight those students who coordinated events and initiatives aimed at getting the vote out. These students are not only excellent examples of Gator Grit, they are model Houstonians.

Dr. Juan Sánchez Muñoz
UHD President

Gator Day of Action

Rain could not dampen our students’ commitment to civic engagement. Last week, our Student Government Association led the Gator Day of Action. Events kicked off with a Candidate Meet & Greet with more than 20 candidates for local and state offices visiting campus to chat with students. This was followed by the annual Walk 2 Vote event. Although it rained for much of the day, the precipitation cleared for our students’ procession to the polls. Downtown Houstonians witnessed our Gators walking down the Main Street Bridge en route to cast their ballots. More community members learned about this event through television coverage on FOX26 and KPRC Ch. 2 (both segments featured students Diana Platas and Shay Tatum).

Student Activism

In addition to our students’ motivating others to walk to the polls, a group of Gators focused their energies on registering eligible voters. Among those students was senior Jocelyne Torres, president of the UHD chapter of Texas Rising. Since June, Jocelyne registered approximately 400 Houstonians to vote. Such commitment is impressive, and I commend Jocelyne and those who supported her during this registration drive.