WAC Announces Implementation of Voter Awareness Program
WAC Announces Implementation of Voter Awareness Program
DENVER – With eight weeks until election day, the Western Athletic Conference announced the implementation of WAC Votes, a non-partisan voter awareness program in which all nine institutions are supporting the participation of willing and eligible WAC student-athletes, coaches, staff and fans in the upcoming November general election and in other local, state and federal elections. The initiative is a result of discussions held by the WAC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and is supported by the WAC Council.
WAC Votes aims to educate student-athletes on the importance of voting and exercising their civic responsibility leading up to, on, and beyond election day. This initiative will also provide student-athletes with non-partisan resources to promote voter awareness, access to education regarding state-by-state voter opportunities.
"It is liberating to emphasize the importance of exercising our civic responsibility to vote," said WAC SAAC President Katherine Harston. "As a group, WAC SAAC stressed that voter education is as important as voting itself. This initiative should be a priority to student athletes allowing us to voice why we believe voting matters."
The WAC has created a web page, WACsports.com/WACVotes, to help provide voting resources to support to the initiative. This page includes links to voter registration pages and ballot research information and absentee ballot information.
In addition to the educational aspect of the program, all WAC member institutions have agreed to establish November 3 as a day off from all required athletically-related activities, excluding competition, to provide student-athletes, coaches, staff and fans the opportunity to vote.