Revolutionary Tales: Senior Nate O’Brien Champions Voting and Civic Engagement

October 28, 2024

Authored by:

Nick Erickson, Video by Cara Taylor

Despite a high-noon sun basking Kogan Plaza, there was still a slight chance of precipitation. Not from the cloudless sky but from George Washington University senior Nate O'Brien's fountain of electoral knowledge splashing anyonewho stopped by the GW Votestable camped under the clocktower in the middle of the quad.

O'Brien, a program assistant for the nonpartisancoalition of students, faculty and staff that promotes voter registration and participation among the GW community, is well informed and fully equipped to answer any question asked of him regarding voting rights and procedures.

At this particular tabling shift, for instance, an international student approached to see if there were any way they could make their voice heard in the election-that at that point was less than a month away-despite being ineligible to vote for national offices.

O'Brien was fully ready as he whipped out his phone to inform the international student about Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2022, a recently enacted law by the Council of the District of Columbia allowing eligible noncitizens to vote in local elections.

"It's one thing that it passed, but it's another for people to actually know about it," O'Brien quipped about D.C.'s new law.

His passion for civic participation and expertise of voting rights spring above the surface, and this election season O'Brien is doing his part to ensure every eligible voter in the GW community-which has democracy in its DNA-is proactive and informed so they can partake in the honored democratic ritual to the best of their abilities.

"I believe voting is crucial because it represents a piece of our agency," said O'Brien, who is double majoring in political science and sociology. "It's a step toward holistic progress; the more people who participate, the better."

Nate O'Brien, a sociology and political science major, has come to appreciate how voting is part of a larger system of change and that change doesn't stop at the ballot box. (Cara Taylor/GW Today)

O'Brien first got involved with GW Votes during the 2022 midterm elections when, admittedly, he was enticed by the cupcakes they were handing out in Kogan Plaza. "They were really good [cupcakes], so I figured this was a pretty cool organization," he said with a laugh. But O'Brien had discovered the importance of voting and civic participation long before he took a bite out of the frosted baked good.

He grew up in a relatively rural area south of Boston and attended a regional high school that merged two small towns to form a single district. During his junior year, his district fell risk to budget cuts and loss of funding that would affect teachers' job securities and resources.

Student leaders, including O'Brien, rallied their peers to advocate to school board representatives who could influence the budget. That effort worked as the school board eventually voted to maintain the budget, allowing teachers from both towns to keep their jobs.

"That was my wake-up moment-I realized how important voting is and how it can bring tangible change," O'Brien said. "After the decision, there was a huge sense of relief. It was a powerful moment of unity in our community."

Building community is a central motivator in O'Brien's everyday life. He loves talking with people. Even when he's watching a show, reading or playing video games, he prefers to do it in good company so they can talk about it afterward. And every Sunday night, he and a group of friends gather to cook dinner together. When it's his turn, he makes a self-described "mean eggplant Parmesan."

That outgoing personality is a perfect recipe for encouraging peers to make their own voices heard at the polls. He's highly visible at all GW Votes tabling events, and he co-led a Day of Service letter-writing activity for first-year students this past August.

Voting in the U.S. election is far from one-size fits all. In some states, people can register the same day they vote. In others, they can't. In some, a person can vote early. In others, they can't unless they have a state-approved excuse. And in the aftermath of the 2020 election, some states enacted legislation that added more hurdles to the process.

Because GW students come from near and far, there are a lot of voting laws and practices to consider, and O'Brien relishes his role of communicating to people how they can cast their ballots.

"I believe in meeting people where they are and addressing the lack of information that often excludes marginalized voices from the voting conversation," O'Brien said. "Conversations about the issues people care about can lead to better engagement in the voting process. While I'm not sure how that translates into specific policies, fostering dialogue and understanding is essential."

He urges people to be proactive in their choice, and he and GW Votes accelerate that process by offering resources such as stamps and envelopes at tabling events so it's one less thing to worry about should they vote absentee. O'Brien also encourages using TurboVote, a tool used by GW Votes that is essentially a gateway to important election resources.

His work and that of GW Votes will extend far past Nov. 5. Much of their offseason will focus on research and improving practices. They want to better engage those in academic disciplines with lower voter turnout than others, and they will continue to encourage people to participate in local elections. As O'Brien and his Massachusetts regional school district can attest to, those really matter.

O'Brien has come to appreciate how voting is part of a larger system of change and that change doesn't stop at the ballot box. He's taken that to heart at GW, participating in an Alternative Spring Break harvesting crops and learning about sustainable practices at a Virginia farm.

He is grateful to GW and GW Votes for showing him tangible avenues to pursue his career goals of being engaged and helping others.

"If you'd asked me at 13, I might have envisioned running for office to fix everything," O'Brien said. "Now I see the power of civic engagement and the importance of conversations as key to driving change."

All of those who have benefited and will continue to benefit from his expertise and passion on the subject should be thankful that it was a really good cupcake.