The steady flow of traffic along Concord Road in Aston, Pa. reflects a highly energized voter base. Political signs lining the street display strong enthusiasm for the candidates, Trump and Harris, who are in a dead-heat race for president.
As we approach November 5th, it is critical that educational institutions, especially colleges and universities, prioritize student participation in voting. Election Day should be 24 hours free from classes, sports, and academic commitments to ensure students have every opportunity to vote.
This change is necessary to ensure fairness and promote greater involvement and engagement among the nation’s future leaders.
Many students, especially those who live far from their registered voting districts, face significant challenges casting their ballots.
Students typically remain registered in their hometowns while attending school elsewhere, causing a logistical challenge.
For students without time off, balancing academic responsibilities, sports commitments, and commuting can make it difficult to return to their polling place.
Providing a day off would allow them the chance to return home to vote in person, particularly in states with limited early voting or absentee ballot options.
Ryen Hawkey, a junior, agrees it would be helpful.
“Whatever we can do to maximize voting would be great,” she said.
In K-12 education, many schools are already closed on Election Day since many are polling stations for the public.
We should extend this same courtesy to college students who now have the power to vote and shape the country’s future.
This election season is particularly pivotal, with both candidates polling neck and neck. There is an energized voter base in the U.S., and students are included in this group.
It is worth noting that voter turnout among college students is rising. In 2020, 66% of college students voted in the presidential election, a significant increase from 52% in 2016, according to a report from Tufts University.
Given the growing enthusiasm among young voters, establishments should encourage this momentum by making it easier for them to vote.
Neumann University, for instance, has 51% of students living on campus, while 49% commute.
Even for close people, the 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. polling hours are not always convenient when weighed against classes, extracurricular activities, and other responsibilities.
The situation is even more difficult for student-athletes, who spend long hours practicing and competing on top of their academic workload.
As a student-athlete at Neumann University during my fall softball season, I plan to return home to Lancaster, Pa. to cast my presidential vote; balancing a packed schedule makes it nearly impossible.
My day starts with classes, followed by practice and homework, before a long commute home to stand in line at my polling place. The commute alone takes an hour and a half, and after voting, I’ll have to make the return trip that same night because my next class starts at 9 a.m. the following day.
With that being said, having Election Day off would change everything. It would allow me and other fellow students to get home safely, without the stress of rushing, and return to school at a reasonable hour.
This accommodation would give us all breathing room to focus on our studies and prepare for the next day, without sacrificing the right to vote. For students and many working individuals, the current system makes it difficult to fulfill both academic and civic responsibilities.
This simple step would encourage students to cast informed, thoughtful votes without the stress of academic and extracurricular pressures.
Students should be given every opportunity to cast informed, thoughtful votes in the spirit of democracy.
Election day should be treated with the respect it deserves, and giving students time to vote is one of the easiest and most powerful ways to ensure their voices are heard in the country’s election process.
In the meantime, students will have to plan ahead if they want to exercise their citizenship. The deadline to request mail-in ballots is 15 days prior to election day. To be safe, students may wish to get even further ahead of that deadline.
