Waffles for Votes

As Clubs Expo has come  to a close  and Salient looks back on one of the busiest weeks of the academic year, we wanted to reflect on some of the successes. Most notably, VUWSA’s “Waffle Programme” which saw a record 398 students enrol to vote. 

VUWSA president Aidan Donaghue reported that 204 people enrolled in a single day during one of their Kelburn campus events. Historically, enrollment during Clubs Expo has not been run by VUWSA. Instead,  volunteers from the Electoral Commission attend campus to advocate for student enrollment. 

Donoghue said previous Electoral Commission volunteers told him that “the most they’ve ever had in one day as a record was 90.” His numbers more than double that.

He admits that a lot of this was due to the free waffles that accompanied each enrolled voter. Donaghue told  me “I've learned one thing in my time as Engagement VP at VUWSA. Students need incentives to engage with us—extrinsic ones. I think those really went a long way.” He added that the waffles are often given out anyway, so combining them with voter enrollment  was a simple decision. 

Another boon to the campaign was, of course, the fact it’s an election year. Donaghue admits, “If we tried this next year when there's no elections going on at all, I imagine it'd be tougher.” 

Most political parties were also present on campus during Clubs Expo. With Chris Hipkins serving Oreos to keen voters, Donaghue emphasised the importance of having MP’s speak directly with students on campus.  He said, "It was really awesome to have those MPs and candidates come along and be your boots on the ground actually talking to students about enrolling to vote.” 

Donaghue wants to emphasise that getting students interested in politics is not just for Clubs expo. He wants to see consistent enrolment throughout the year, and has set a goal for VUWSA to hit 1000 students enrolled by the end of 2026. 

Only 2 weeks in and 40% of the way there and he shows no signs of slowing down, promising “More dedicated events for enrollment drives.” 

Moreover, he looks forward to Democracy Week which VUWSA will host during trimester two. Donaghue's “Really keen to work with the University for a leaders debate, for whatever sort of way that we can have candidates on campus fronting up to students about what their plans are.”

Clubs Expo proved that student politics is still thriving. As the election year ramps up, eyes will turn to campuses as politicians vie for the student vote.