Bears at the Ballot and the Student Government Association partnered up to deliver students a pizza-fueled voting process with Party at the Polls on March 5.

“One of the things that is a barrier for voting for youth is they just don’t know what’s happening or it’s not seen as something that’s fun,” senior Makenna Goss, chair of the Bears Advocacy Group, said.

Stationed only a short walk over from the polling center located in UCA’s Welcome Center, the party featured free pizza, stuffed animals, T-shirts, stickers, bean bag toss and more.

“Normally when we can get people to come talk to us, we can get them to vote,” Goss said.

The party was put on to draw young students to vote, a demographic of voters that has historically been low.

“Youth voters are the smallest percentage of people who turnout, so that’s particularly what we’re focused on here is youth voting,” Goss said. “In 2020, we saw youth voters and swing states be the people who actually decided the election, so it’s a really important way for voters, specifically youth, to make their voice known and make sure our government represents us, and the only way that we’re gonna keep the representative democracy we have is by doing that.”

Tufts University researchers found that the 2020 student voting rate in the U.S. was 66%, higher than previous election years.

Sophomore Abigail Wells, a political science major helping run the event, described an encounter with her professor that made her realize how important a single vote can be.

“I did not vote the first time because I just thought the registration process was super long,” Wells said. “I did not have enough time. Then, one of my professors pulled me to the side and was like, ‘Look at this election.’ It was the one that I missed. He said, ‘Look at how close the vote was.’ I saw that and I was like, ‘Oh, wow, my vote actually does matter.’ So I made sure to register and then also I made sure to get involved.”

Wells said once she ignored the negativity surrounding voting, she realized how much she could help change lives and encourage others to do the same.

Surrounding the voting center were Conway residents supporting candidates with signs and cheerful shouts.

Three supporters were Trina Mitchell and her two kids. They were holding up signs for Trip Leach, a chief financial officer running for reelection to the Conway School Board.

“His heart is in the right place, and he really cares about the county school district and what they do and the policies that they implement,” Mitchell said.

Alongside Mitchell was Jonny Tyler, Leach’s campaign manager and justice of the peace on the Faulkner County Quorum Court.

“Local politics in my mind are way more important than national. While national is important, we feel the effects [of local politics] right here at home,” Tyler said.

Leach went on to secure a spot on the Conway School Board, defeating Ruthann Curry Browne 651-630, according to vote totals from the Faulkner County clerk’s office.

Bill Milburn rejoined the school board after defeating Trey Geier 885-851, according to the clerk’s office.

Courtney Hudson overcame Carlton D. Jones for the state Supreme Court associate justice 8,581 to 4,772, while Chris Carnahan beat Evan David Hogue in the race for district nine division one judge 7,952 to 5,654.

The battle for the first position of the state Supreme Court justice, as well as the second division for the district nine state district judge, will continue to run-off elections.