As national polling predicts a tight presidential race, students in Brown Democrats pick up their efforts. From phone banking to political education, club members have been working to mobilize voters across the nation for a Democratic victory in November.
“Some people just feel like their vote doesn’t matter. We’re trying to push back against that idea and get people actually involved,” said Sylvie Watts ’26, the vice president of Brown Dems.
Throughout the semester, Brown Dems has hosted weekly phone banking events on behalf of the Harris campaign, according to the club’s President Mahir Rahman ’26. The calls have primarily targeted undecided voters in swing states.
“A lot of people will be unsure, and they’ll hang up,” Rahman said. “I think it’s reflecting the state of the race right now; it’s still up in the air.”
Beyond supporting the Harris campaign, the club has also focused its efforts on key Democratic races in Pennsylvania and Montana which may determine control of Congress. Rep. Matthew Cartwright of Pennsylvania and Sen. Jon Tester of Montana, endorsed by Brown Dems, are both incumbent Democratic politicians who are at risk of losing their seats in the upcoming election, Watts explained.
Here in Rhode Island, Brown Dems is campaigning for the re-election of Rep. Megan Cotter (D-Exeter, Hopkinton, Richmond). “Even within such a blue state overall, there are still very tight races,” Rahman said.
In addition to campaigning, Brown Dems also works to promote political engagement among the student body. “I think there was strong momentum for (Harris) after the debate, and that started to die down. We’re trying to get people incentivized and encouraged again,” Watts said.
The club hosts several caucuses which meet to discuss specific political topics, including climate, gun policy, reproductive rights and education, said Brown Dems’s Political Director Lily Zamora ’26. During weekly policy reviews, the caucuses research different candidates’ positions on their specific policy areas. The reproductive rights caucus, for example, has compared and contrasted Trump’s and Harris’s views on abortion policy in a recent meeting.
The club posts these weekly reviews on their Instagram page and also shares information about candidates and informational events. “The main goal is to promote civic engagement with these issues,” Rahman said.
Brown Dems has also partnered with Brown Votes, a nonpartisan youth voter turnout organization, to incentivise students to cast their ballots. “Young voters are incredibly important,” Watts said. “They will decide this election and will decide generally where our country is going in the future.”
According to The Herald’s fall poll, 91% of eligible students at Brown plan to vote for Harris.
The club plans to host a watch party on election night — but nerves will likely be running high. According to an aggregate of presidential polls, both candidates’ averages are within 1% of each other. “Unfortunately, it’s still extremely close,” he said.
