Montgomery College students are gearing up for this year’s upcoming midterm election in style. On Friday, October 26, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., party buses will be provided on all three campuses, encouraging MC students to get out and vote this election season.

So far, over 300 students are signed up for the Party to the Polls event. In addition to free party buses provided on-site, there will be a Captain Cookie food truck, Chipotle, photo booths, DJs, a cornhole tournament, games, art and more.

The Party to the Polls event is a brand-new, campus-wide celebration. The goal is to help promote Montgomery College’s civic and academic mission of informing students about how to be engaged in all local elections. There will be nonpartisan voter guides at the event and volunteers on-site to help explain the voting process, including how to register.

MC Votes is one of the many groups involved in organizing the Party to the Polls event. MC Votes Initiative intern Brian Schoem was at Club Rush 2018 and the Give and Get Help Fair on Montgomery College’s Rockville campus encouraging students to come out and be a part of the festivities. “We’re trying to get students, faculty, staff and everyone in the community excited about voting and getting involved. We don’t care who you vote for, we just want you to be a part of the process,” he said.

The event will be located on the Rockville campus outside the Science Center pond. On the Germantown campus, the event will be between the Humanities and Social Sciences Building and the Science and Applied Studies Building. On the Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus, the event will happen outside the Charlene R. Nunley Student Services Center.

Nik Sushka, the service-learning coordinator on the Rockville campus, reached out to student clubs, organizations and teachers to help volunteer at the event. She said, “We really hope that students and employees show up at the Party to the Polls event because the power of voting and the power of speaking up for yourself and your community is something worth celebrating.”

Some of the clubs who are hopping on board the ride on the Rockville campus include the Young Democrats Club and the Radio Club. The President of the Young Democrats Club, Kiara Romero, said, “We’ll be promoting nominees that our club is passionate about and encouraging students to vote in hopes of a better future for our community.” Just like the Young Democrats Club, the Radio Club is also passionate about promoting, and they are set to broadcast live on the Rockville campus during the festivities with free giveaways and coverage of the games that are going to take place during the affair.

On the Rockville campus, there will be lots of new games for students to participate in including giant life-size Jenga and Connect Four. On top of that, there will be a raffle at the “citizen cornhole” game with chances to win prizes throughout the function. The Captain Cookie food truck will serve homemade cookies and ice cream sandwiches. Free Chipotle burritos will be offered as well. Students will have the chance to capture the moment at the “power to the people” photo booth. Additionally, there will be pumpkin painting, a coloring station and a hot cocoa bar to warm up students towards the end of October.

All Montgomery College students are encouraged to be a part of the festivities. There’s no need to sign up in advance to join in on the fun. If you’re a student and you’re interested in early voting with fellow classmates on the party buses, it’s first come, first serve. Two shuttle buses will be provided on the Rockville and Germantown campus and one will be provided at the Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus. Each bus will make four trips total during the event, to and back from the voting sites.

Brian Schoem from the MC Votes Initiative said, “It’s like a nightclub on wheels. You get on, drive 10 minutes to the early voting location, students vote, 10 minutes back, and they’re back on campus within the hour.”

If you’re interested or know someone who would be interested in volunteering at the event, here’s your opportunity. To register for a table at the event, click here. To apply to be a party captain, click here.

If you’re an MC student, look out for a Party to the Polls event happening on a campus near you!

Save the date for Party to the Polls on Friday, October 26 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on all three campuses and celebrate democracy in action with fellow MC students. For more details about how to get involved, contact Nik Sushka by email ([email protected]).

The Party to the Polls event is sponsored by the RV Provost, RV Student Life, Impact MC, Paul Peck Humanities Institute, Humanities Days, Hillman Entrepreneurs, Writing in the Disciplines, Advancement and Community Engagement, and Civic Nation.