University of Maryland student political leaders reflected on how their clubs mobilized to advocate for their party’s platform ahead of Election Day.

Marylanders will vote on key races this week, including the presidential race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump and the race for the state’s open U.S. Senate seat. Many students from this university’s College Democrats and Republican chapters told The Diamondback about their political activism journeys and monthslong campaign efforts.

Mace Viemeister, a co-president of College Democrats, said they became interested in politics due to climate change and the results of the 2016 presidential election.

The Trump administration led to a rise in racism against Hispanic people in their hometown of Encinitas, Cal., and attacks on LGBTQ+ children across the country, the sophomore public policy and American studies major said. Viemeister soon became more involved in politics by volunteering in campaigns, speaking at city council meetings in high school and helping with voter registration drives, they said.

“I was one person, but I could make a difference,” Viemeister said.

For Viemeister, the environment, access to healthcare — including reproductive rights and transgender healthcare —  and democracy are the leading issues for Tuesday’s election.

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Ethan Vinodh, College Republicans’ president, grew up in Prince George’s County and said he began to find his own political beliefs in sixth grade. His Christian faith has driven his political views, he added.

“It was more of just a realization of what my values actually mean in the political world,” the junior cell biology and molecular genetics major said.

Foreign policy, the economy and border security are key issues for Vinodh this year, he said.

Despite living in an overwhelmingly Democratic state like Maryland, Vinodh said Republican candidates in the state, such as former Gov. and U.S. Senate candidate Larry Hogan and Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.), give him hope that eventually the state will lean more conservative.

“There’s definitely hope in a state like this,” Vinodh said. “The sun is very much on the horizon.”

Both student organizations are also organizing grassroots movements to advocate for their candidates across the state.

This university’s College Democrats chapter has knocked on about 3,100 doors this semester in support of Democratic candidates, according to Michael Deweaver, the chapter’s operations director.

College Democrats have also hosted Prince George’s County Executive and U.S. Senate candidate Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) and Baltimore County Executive and Congressional candidate Johnny Olszewski (D-Md.).

The club has worked directly with the Democratic Party in Maryland and in the nearby swing state of Pennsylvania, Deweaver said.

Deweaver, a sophomore public policy major, has participated in almost every weekly door-knocking session this semester.

Some undecided voters he has met, Deweaver said, haven’t been up to date with political news and appear interested in what the volunteers have to say. Others, he said, have become jaded by the political system.

“You have to essentially try and convince them that there is still, there is still hope for democracy,” Deweaver said. “You have to convince them that the government can actually help them.”

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This semester, College Republicans have hosted events with Kim Klacik (R-Md.) — a candidate for Maryland’s second congressional district —  and a representative from Hogan’s campaign.

College Republicans have also tabled on campus and held phone banking sessions, Vinodh said, which have focused on Maryland House races and the state’s U.S. Senate election.

While tabling on-campus, Vinodh said he and his members have had positive conversations with students who disagree with the club on many issues.

He said the club has also grown ahead of November’s election. The larger presence of College Republicans on campus has made members more comfortable with speaking about their political opinions, Vinodh added.

While the College Republicans chapter has not organized door-knocking initiatives, its members have still been involved in their communities.

Nick Marks, a College Republicans member, said he has volunteered extensively with Hogan’s Senate campaign.

Marks, a senior government and politics and secondary education major, estimated that he has called about 11,000 people while volunteering for Hogan’s campaign. He has also gone door-knocking about three to four times a week since Labor Day, he added.

Viemeister said they hope to educate others who are stressed, like them, about the election by spreading awareness about voting.

“This last week, I’m just going to be doing as much as I can,” Viemeister said. “I’m going to do everything in my control now.”

The student groups’ efforts will culminate on Tuesday when polls will be open in Maryland from 7 a.m. to  8 p.m.