Regis counts down to Election Day with visit from Colorado Secretary of State’s Office

With just more than a week to go before Election Day, first-year students at Regis had the chance to take an inside look at voting in Colorado with one of the state’s top election officials.

The Office of First-Year Experience welcomed Colorado Deputy Secretary of State Chris Beall to speak to a crowd of students about the election process during a Voting Rights Teach-In on Friday in the St. John Francis Regis Chapel. During the event, students learned about topics ranging from registering to vote to the importance of choosing reliable sources of information when researching ballot issues. 

For many first-year Regis students, the upcoming general election will mark the first time they’re able to vote, making Friday’s event an important chance to ensure students are prepared to cast their ballots. The event was hosted as part of First-Year Experience's Fall Friday series, which provides space for learning beyond the classroom.

“It's a special thing to be coming to college during a major election year, and this one is going to be a really big one,” said Liz Schwebach, the director of student engagement and leadership. “What's awesome is that our Regis community has come together to offer programming to help support you in this process.”

Beall, who was appointed to his position by Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold in 2018, said the role of his office, as well as that of county clerks and recorders across the state, is to ensure elections reflect the will of the people.

“We are public servants. We serve you. You tell us what to do. You tell us what to do through your vote,” Beall said. “This is your opportunity to control how government works. We are a democracy. We are in a two-century experiment in self-government. We, unlike many countries, decide for ourselves how we govern.”

He encouraged students to organize, vote and stay informed ahead of the election. He also shared tips to make sure the voting process goes smoothly. When voters sign their ballots, for example, they should always remember to use the same signature they used when they registered to vote. Otherwise, ballots could be flagged for fraud by the secretary of state’s office. If this happens, voters may “cure” their ballots by submitting alternate signatures.

Beall also shared that voters may check their voter registration status, as well as many other voter resources, online.

Regis University Student Government Association Student Body President Hailey Kreiling, a senior majoring in politics and peace and justice studies, said at the beginning of the year, not many students wanted to talk about the election. But the closer Election Day comes, she said, the more students are willing to become engaged. During the presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, students gathered to watch en masse on student lounge TVs and their phones.

“Regis has done a really good job of ensuring that students feel prepared to have difficult conversations without attacking people's characters, but more so (talking) about policies and issues,” she said. “We are so much more equipped to do that after seeing it modeled by our faculty and our administration.”

During remarks to students at the Voting Rights Teach-In, Kreiling encouraged everyone to participate in civic life.

“Civic engagement happens at many levels, beyond the national stage. Our local elections, whether in our home states, here in Colorado or wherever we call home often have the most direct impact on our lives,” she said. “For those of us who don't reside in Colorado, it's important to stay engaged with the issues that affect your home communities and local governments, no matter where they are.”

At Regis, students will have plenty of opportunities to stay engaged through Election Day.

In the coming days, the Office of First-Year Experience will host workshops for students to learn more about elections. Workshops include Empowered Voting: Making Informed Choices, which helps students determine which information is credible, and Engagement and Dialogue Across Political Difference, which intends to help students have meaningful conversations even when they disagree.

In addition, Regis is hosting a Civic Examen series to offer students, faculty and staff space to reflect before and after the election. The series will be hosted in the St. John Francis Regis Chapel at 8 a.m. each Tuesday through Nov. 26.

Election Day is Nov. 5. The last time to cast a ballot is 7 p.m. on Election Day. In Colorado, voters can cast ballots via mail, drop them off at drop boxes throughout the state or vote in person. Learn more about voting in Colorado at govotecolorado.gov.

View more voting resources.