Augustana will host early voting for the upcoming election on Oct. 24 from 8:30-4 p.m. by the Brew by Slough.
Kai Swanson, Special Assistant to the President, and Rock Island County Clerk, Karen Kinney urge students to check their voting registration and make use of the voting opportunity.
Full details regarding registration and early voting can be found on rockislandcounty.org. Students can register online at any time before the registration deadline or visit Swanson in his office in Founders Hall, located next to Seminary, for a form. Registration requires an ID and proof of residency. For students in residence halls this can include your student ID and for students living off campus, this can include a bill or other form with their current address. Full list of necessary items are on the website.
Swanson urges that elections are better when more people vote. He hopes that hosting early voting on campus removes an impediment that may deter students from voting. Anyone who is registered to vote in Rock Island County can vote in the Brew on the date. Some faculty have told Swanson that they appreciate the ability to vote on campus and intend to use it.
Early voting on campus is sponsered by the County Clerk’s office. Swanson acknowledges Kinney’s leadership in bringing Augustana the opportunity to hold early voting on campus
“I feel that everyone should have the ability to exercise their right to vote.” Kinney said.
Swanson encourages students to check their registration online. Both Swanson and Kinney stated that students have had problems in the past when they were registered in their home towns and could not vote in the Rock Island county. Swanson said that it is important for students to check their registration previous to the early voting date in order to ensure their ability to vote on campus.
“What is convenient for Augustana students is, for several elections now, they have deemed our campus an early voting site.” States Swanson
Kinney believes that college students should have the access to a vote and that having early voting on campus helps simplify the voting process and make it more accessible.
Kinney urges students to register before the registration deadline on Oct. 11. There will only be two judges to handle the early voting. When students have to register the same day it can lead to a longer process. Kinney said that only 126 Augustana students voted in 2014 during early voting on campus.
“I think that from the college’s perspective, it’s very clearly an understanding of our mission statement. The mission of the college is to prepare students of those qualities of mind, spirit, and body for rewarding lives of leadership and service in a diverse and changing world. So, one of the great acts of service and leaderships is to vote,” Swanson said.