Students spend all day on campus going from class to class, going out to a local spot for lunch, and then back to the dorm. Everything a student needs is on or near campus. But every election, polling places are simply not around.
Azucena Arrieta, a student at Texas State University, knows this struggle all too well.
“Having lived on campus for my first year and then becoming a commuter for the last few has shown the struggles students face on both ends. Especially during election season.” Arrieta says. “I try to stay on campus for the majority of my day to do as many errands before I even think of leaving. I’m practically here all the time.”
Students and staff deal with multiple hours-long wait times, restricted hours of operation, and lack of physical polling places. This has resulted in students leaving the long wait lines to get to classes, without a chance to get back in line before the polls close because of the limited hours polling places are open. This leaves many students without any opportunity to vote. Others risk missing class to commute to find alternative locations to cast their ballot in counties where countywide polling is available.
“Students were wandering around trying to figure out where to vote and at what time.”
In the few days the poll site on Texas State University’s campus was open, students did not have the time to wait in hours-long lines in between class. “Voting on campus was all over the place in terms of students wandering around trying to figure out where to vote and at what time.” Arrieta says.
Arrieta was not alone in her frustrations. Reports of students simply not voting because of these barriers were so astronomical that outside groups stepped in to sue to keep polling locations open longer to give all students an opportunity to cast their ballot.
All students need a fair chance to vote, so counties should put permanent voting locations on large college campuses.
