Voting is important because politics impacts everyone in one way or another. It is just as necessary for young adults to vote as much as anyone else, particularly college students. This is why Augustana should give its students Election Day off. 

Having the day off would allow more students to vote. Many students live a few hours- or more- away from campus and having no school would give more people the opportunity to go vote since they would not have to worry about missing class and could be more flexible with their schedule. 

According to an Inside Higher Ed survey, many college students plan on voting, but around one out of every ten do not know how. A crucial factor in students learning how and being able to vote is time. For many college students, this election is their first time being able to vote, meaning they will need more time to figure out what to do than their older counterparts. 

Having the day off to vote or follow the election will also prevent distractions. There will be students who miss class and students who are wondering about the election, both of which will hinder their ability to pay attention. Not having class on Election Day would ensure that students do not have to worry about falling behind because they fulfilled their civic duty. 

There are other options for students, such as mailing in their ballot, but this may leave room for error. Within the days leading up to Election Day, ballot boxes have been set on fire. One box in Portland, Oregon was burned and three ballots were destroyed. Another box was set on fire in Vancouver, Washington, which destroyed hundreds of ballots. 

Because of reliability issues with other means of voting, many people prefer voting in person and they should have the opportunity to do it without worrying about missing school and the ramifications of missing a day.

Many public K-12 schools in Illinois do not have school on Election Day because of an amendment to Illinois’ school code, which declares it an official state holiday. Schools that are closed can serve as polling places. 

However, colleges should also be included in this practice since the students are actually of age to vote. 

K-12 students are not in schools when they are used as polling places for safety reasons. Anyone could walk into a polling place, which in this case is a school, on Election Day, so it is understandable that young children should not be there at the same time. 

However, college is different since there are always people who are not students on campus, so making it a polling place that students could use would not be that different than an ordinary day. 

Making Augustana a polling location could also benefit students through providing easier access to voting facilities, making the process quicker and less stressful, and increasing the number of students who vote. 

Voting is a Constitutional right that everyone should have equal opportunity to exercise. Younger generations especially should have the opportunity to vote since they will have to deal with the consequences of the outcomes of every election for the rest of their lives. 

By making Election Day a scheduled day off school, Augustana would allow students to use their voices. We should do all we can to encourage people to vote and making it easier for them is the first and most effective step.