Agenda - 02-02-2021 Virtual Board Meeting; 6-d - Appointments to the BOCC Elections Advisory Group

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15 Page 2 of 2 Nicholas Batman BOCC Elections Advisory Group Background, education and experience relevant to this board: Over the past 2.5 years, I ve had the honor of founding the most impactful voting organization at UNC Chapel Hill. In a short amount of time, my team was able to build a coalition of over 50 student organizations, faculty, and staff that worked together to unify our strategy for the 2020 elections. We registered over 6,000 students and innovated new digital methods of engaging and registering voters amidst quarantine that we were able to pass on to 25 other universities. Additionally, we held town halls and fireside chats with local to state to federal candidates, providing students with an opportunity to hear from several perspectives, ask questions, learn about their government, and make more informed decisions. While doing this work, I was able to develop a very deep understanding of why/how students vote, and more importantly, why they don t vote. Student voting habits are... bizarre to say the least, and there are some clear trends of students not voting for down ballot candidates/for positions they aren t familiar with. With Chapel Hill hosting a large population of students that are seeking to vote in Orange County, my perspective, as someone who has led the charge in understanding and turning out the student vote, would be relevant on a board seeking to make changes to the electoral process for the BOCC. Reasons for wanting to serve on this board: In my time working for CEAC, its become rapidly clear that students are disconnected from local elections, not understanding what certain positions do and even worse, choosing not to vote for down-ballot races. Many have told us, particularly in 2018, that down ballot elections are confusing and they weren t entirely clear what they were voting for. While some of these problems can be solved with education and information, its also possible that institutional changes to the way we elect the BOCC could also help in clarifying the process. I m really passionate about local politics, offices, and policy, and I m even more interested in getting students to engage with their local political landscape. I believe that serving on this board would be a fascinating way to further all of these goals. Contribution to the diversity of viewpoints on this board: As a student, I would effectively represent the concerns and viewpoints from students, specifically from students that are new to the electoral process. With 20,000+ students perpetually existing in Chapel Hill every year, a student would be a valuable perspective to have on board. My experiences as a student organizer and a local Chapel Hillian add to my legitimacy and strengths for this board. Conflict of Interest: Boards/Commissions appointments: Other Comments: This application was current on: 11/30/2020 12:55:08 PM Date Printed: 12/1/2020