.png)
ABOUT
STANFORDVOTES.
StanfordVotes is a
non-partisan, university-wide, student-run organization
to increase voter turnout among Stanford students. Formed in response to the low student voter turnout rates in 2014 and 2016, StanfordVotes engages with campus leadership and other stakeholders to help create a culture of civic engagement on the Farm. StanfordVotes is run through the Stanford in Government (SIG) Civic Engagement Branch in collaboration with the Haas Center for Public Service, and has partnerships with the Associated Students of Stanford University (ASSU) and the President’s Office.
During the 2018 election, volunteers encouraged Stanford community members to vote through tabling in White Plaza, a Party at the Post Office event, and registering people to vote in dining halls. Due to these and other efforts, student turnout increased from 16.9% in 2014 to 42.7% in 2018. Since 2018, we’ve implemented an enrollment hold, which encourages students to register to vote (if eligible) before they’re allowed to sign up for classes. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and the unprecedented nature of last year’s election cycle, we aimed for even better numbers in 2020 through new partnerships and creative methods of digital engagement.
Campus Partners
Current Leadership
Co-Chairs
Aubrey Merrill
Aubrey Merrill (she/her) is a junior from Southern Oregon majoring in Political Science. Last year, she served as the Director of Civic Programs, and is excited to continue her StanfordVotes journey as co-chair this year! Aubrey is looking forward to registering voters during a Presidential Election year, and to make civic engagement as exciting as possible for our community! Additionally, Aubrey is extremely passionate about disability rights and voting accessibility, and is hoping to bring more awareness to these issues this year. Outside of public service, Aubrey enjoys reading, musical theatre, and rock climbing.
Dylan Vergara
Dylan Vergara (he/him), co-chair of StanfordVotes, is a junior from the Los Angeles area studying Political Science, American Studies, and Sociology. Dylan is interested in democracy reform, constitutional law, and environmental and cybersecurity policy. Outside of SIG, Dylan is a member of the Stanford ACLU, Stanford Undergraduate Law Review, and the California Policy Collective. Additionally, Dylan serves as a Peer Advisor for the Haas Center and has conducted research in FSI, the d.school, Stanford Medicine, and the Clayman Institute. Dylan loves to play volleyball, jam on the guitar, and watch Suits.
Directors
Emmett Chung
Director, Voter Education
Emmett Chung (he/him) is a sophomore from Los Altos, California, majoring in History. This is his second year in StanfordVotes, where he'll be serving as Director of Voter Education. An avid follower of American and world politics, he is passionate about ensuring Stanford voters are as well-informed as possible before they cast their ballots. The only difficult part of voting should be making a decision! Emmett's academic interests include protecting democracy, electoral systems, political philosophy, and modern European history. In his free time, Emmett also enjoys cooking, hiking, watching old movies, and rooting for the 49ers.
Victoria Tuffour
Director, Campus Partnerships
Emma Wang
Director, Civic Programs
Emma Wang (she/her) is a junior from the Chicago area studying Political Science and Computer Science. This is her first year in StanfordVotes, and as director of Civic Programming, she is super excited to channel the momentum of this election year to invigorate civic participation on campus. She is passionate about technology policy and computer systems, and has worked at the Cybersecurity Infrastructure and Security Agency. In particular, she is passionate about data privacy and ensuring that technologies enhance democratic values. She also enjoys reading, writing, camping, and lion dancing.
Jadon Urogdy
Director, Outreach
Jadon Urogdy (he/him) is a sophomore from Michigan studying Political Science. Passionate about uplifting voices and increasing turnout, he looks forward to playing a significant role as Director of Outreach and as a Democracy Day Executive Team member. He is the founder of the non-profit initiative, “A Better Us,” aiding homeless and displaced families, and the co-president of “Democrats of Social Media,” a nationwide youth advocacy group aimed at electing the Biden-Harris Administration to the White House. Jadon has also volunteered for the Michigan Democratic Party and his local U.S. Representative. This past summer, he worked at the Executive Office of Governor Gretchen Whitmer, vetting judicial, cabinet, and board appointments for the State of Michigan. Jadon is currently the treasurer of the Undergraduate Senate. Beyond advocacy, Jadon enjoys reading a good book, watching a hilarious show, and camping or hiking with friends and family.
Victoria Tuffour (she/her) is a junior from Aurora, Colorado, majoring in biochemistry. As Director of Campus Partnerships, Victoria seeks to create a more diverse voting sphere by connecting various on-campus groups to the Stanford Votes organization. With over six years of experience with youth mobilization and action-oriented leadership, Victoria seeks to use her past roles to fuel her work with Stanford Votes during the 2024-2025 school year. As a passionate advocate for racial equity, Victoria hopes to plan and create events that cater to students of diverse backgrounds, allowing them to understand what it means to vote and why voter registration and accessibility are important for students of all backgrounds. In addition to her work with Stanford Votes, Victoria is the financial officer for the Stanford Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), a 2024 Leadership, Action, and Organizing Fellow (LOAF), and participates in research with the Dr. Bianxiao Cui Lab.
Past Directors
Lexi Kupor
2023-24
Cameron Lange
2022-23
Chase Small
2019-20
Emily Tianshi
2023-24
Emily Handsel
2021-22
Alex Chau
2019-20
Sean Casey
2020-21
Christina Li
2018-19
_JPG.png)
Liana Keesing
2020-21
