First-Time Terp Voters Flock to Polls

Last Wednesday, University of Maryland junior Aylin Apaydin became an American citizen. On Thursday, she voted.

“I’m super excited,” Apaydin, originally from Turkey, said at the College Park Community Center just before casting her ballot during early voting. “This is my first time doing an American thing!”

In a presidential election being called the most monumental of our lifetimes, Terp students headed to the polls or sent in mail-in ballots—a new experience for most. They spoke of civic duty, the emotional rush of joining the electorate and the experience of being a part of potential history.

In 2020, 71% of Terps voted, according to a survey of 3,600 U.S. institutions—a strong showing compared to the record high 67% of college student voters nationwide. This year, there’s evidence of a further uptick, as TerpsVote, a nonpartisan group promoting civic engagement, reported helping 1,588 students register on TurboVote as of last Friday, up significantly since 2020.

“This year there is a new sense of importance among Gen Z,” said Sophia Chau, a sophomore ambassador for TerpsVote, who cited climate change, the economy and student loans as major election drivers. “There’s a lot of polarization on social media, which is motivating more people to get their opinion out.”

[UMD Counseling Center Offers Tips on Managing Election Stress]

Across the state of Maryland, young people were poised to make an impact. Nearly two-thirds of 18-year-olds were registered to vote headed into Election Day—double the rate of Pennsylvania, according to a recent report coproduced by UMD’s Maryland Democracy Initiative and Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement.

Maryland’s young people also were cited by the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement as a key group in influencing party control of the U.S. Senate. In the state's closely watched race, Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks' victory over former Gov. Larry Hogan kept the open Senate seat in Democrats' hands.

On campus, the Stamp Student Union drew crowds of eager voters Tuesday afternoon, prompting university staff to open an additional room to allow them to wait in line more comfortably. Representatives from TerpsVote also provided snacks and chatted with students as they waited, encouraging them to stay in line and reminding them of the importance of casting their ballots.

One new voter was Mary Clelland ’26. Growing up in Chattanooga, Tenn., she huddled inside election booths with her parents, who taught her the importance of voting. At UMD, she declared a public policy major and joined a voting rights organization. Last semester she took a course on democracy. Yesterday, Election Day, she finally participated in it.

“It was a little intimidating walking into the booth, but looking at that ballot made me really excited,” Clelland said outside the Stamp Student Union polling station. As she affixed an “I voted” sticker to her shirt, she added, “It’s so rewarding to get this—I’m going to be wearing it all day!”

For Kavyesh Pasham ’27, a biocomputational engineering major from Hyattsville, Md., science and the environment helped compel him to the polls.

“As an engineer, I don’t want the world to be decimated by climate change,” he said moments before entering his polling station.

Pasham admitted that he’s been impatient as he awaited this moment. “People say that it’s just one vote, but I’ve always believed that one vote can make a difference,” he said.