ASG Helps UA Voters
Safe ride will be transporting students from the Union to the county courthouse to vote between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday.
The service was funded by Associated Student Government for $810 through the student activity fee after the Motor Voter bill was passed by senate.
“Buses will pick up at Union Station and take students to the county courthouse in enough time so that a student on a break in between classes or a staff member on lunch break could quickly cast their ballot,” said Matt Seubert, president of the Young Democrats and author of the bill.
The event is sponsored by both the Young Democrats and College Republicans.
“By working with ASG, we could make the event bipartisan and trusted. A student knows that the buses will be reliable, timely and he or she will get to and from the polling station without confusion or hassle,” Seubert said. “The event also fits well into ASG’s core mission, and the university’s as well, to create lifelong citizens ready to use their educations in public life. Exercising the right to vote is at the very core of this mission.”
College Republicans president Grant Hodges hopes the service will increase student turnout, he said.
“I expect the UA will buck some trends and have a strong showing by students,” Hodges said. “ASG, College Republicans, Young Democrats and many other groups have been successful in registering students. Now we just have to get them to the polls, which is where the ‘Motor Voter’ comes in. If just one student is able to vote who otherwise wouldn’t have been able to, I think it is worth the effort.”
This is not the first time the UA has sponsored a program like this,Seubert said .
“This program isn’t a new idea. ASG and the university have sponsored similar ideas for previous presidential elections,” Seubert said. “This time through we are emphasizing early voting both because it give students more chances to vote as well as making it convenient for on and off-campus students. I think this will help the program reach more students and alleviate confusion on election day.”
There are 2,500 registered voters in and immediately around the university and even more students registered locally who are eligible, as well as faculty and staff according to the Voter Activation Network, Seubert said.
“Getting folks started early by voting creates lifelong habits,” Seubert said. “It allows them to use the education they gained here to make decisions for the community they live in now, Fayetteville, the community they will live in moving forward and the nation. We are just giving students as many opportunities as possible to vote and participate.”
