Pack the Polls leaders reflect on Talley one stop early voting site

News

TECHNICIAN

PAGE 3 • MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2018

Pack the Polls leaders reflect on Talley one stop early voting site

Early voters cast their ballots on Tuesday, Oct. 30 at Talley Student Union. Early voting occurred in Talley room 3285 through Saturday, Nov. 3.

CONNOR SMITH /TECHNICIAN

Emily Waddell

Correspondent

As midterm elections have come to a close, the Pack the Polls coalition and student body reflected on the use of Talley Student Union as a one-stop voting site.

In August, when the State Board met to deliberate on the early voting sites, according to a previous article from Technician, “board members’ main point of contention for the Talley site was the access the public would have to the site with its gates on Dan Allen Drive and other spots throughout campus.” The site was approved in a 5-4 decision.

“A lot of it had to do with the Board of Elections and their preferences,” said Andrew McDonald, a senior studying aerospace engineering and co-chair for the Pack the Polls coalition. “It’s a convenient location for our student body. It works out really well that that building is used so widely.”

While campus partners advocated for the site, the decision was ultimately up to the State Board of Elections after the Wake County Board of Elections failed to decide on the one-stop voting site in July. The Board collected measurements and data, and ensured the building is accessible and Americans with Disabilities Act compliant.

Brian Mathis, the associate director of Leadership and Civic Engagement, and other co-chair of Pack the Polls, talked about his role in getting Talley as an early voting site.

“The appointed political board members decide which site will be the voting site,” Mathis said. “Part of my role was to go to the board of elections meeting with Jess Errico, the student body president, and we spoke on behalf of supporting a site at Talley Student Union.”

According to Wake County Board of Elections, in total 14,491 ballots were cast in Talley. However, Mathis said that they will be using Clear House Data, a nonprofit that tracks student data by providing them with a report with the tallied votes and demographics, though that is yet to be completed. McDonald said that while many came out to vote, they were hoping for an even higher turnout.

“We saw a lot of alumni come out,” McDonald said. “As co-chair of Pack the Polls, we were and will be committed to engaging the student body to be involved in the democratic process. It’s part of the education that we want NC State students to get.”

Throughout the election season, Pack the Polls worked to increase voter education and participation among the student body.

“We do that through consolidating information on the Pack the Polls website, going to RA programming, speaking at other events on campus,” Mathis said. “Advocating for an early voting site was also part of that strategy to include and enthuse the student body by having a voting location right here, in the heart of campus.”

Mathis said that that centrally located spaces on campus would be ideal for upcoming elections as voting sites.

“I think we have proven this year that, logistics-wise, we’ve been able to come together to provide a great voting experience to voters both affiliated and not affiliated with the institution.” Mathis said.

McDonald said that the goal for the next election is that Talley will be a one-stop voting site.

“That is why we pushed students so hard to the polls,” McDonald. “The great benefit is that 30,000 plus students going through it every day. It was our goal to solidify our case in the future. We’ve already had some debriefing meetings to help with the process next time around.”

News

TECHNICIAN

PAGE 4 • MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2018

UNC-Chapel Hill student appeals honor court decision

COURTESY OF TARYN REVOIR/THE DAILY TAR HEEL

Staff Report

UNC-Chapel Hill graduate student Maya Little, who was found responsible for damage to the Silent Sam statue that previously stood on the school’s campus, filed an appeal last Wednesday against the panel’s decision.

According to the News & Observer, the Ph.D. student studying history has appealed the decision that was made in October by the student honor court panel. Little claimed three reasons for the appeal: insufficient evidence, violations of rights and the severity of the court’s sanctions.

Little walked out of her hearing in protest, citing that her trial was not fair and impartial because of the presence of a panelist who openly supported the upkeep of the Confederate statue. Organizations such as the UNC-CH’s chapter of the National Lawyers Guild came out in support of Little’s decision to walk out.

On Oct. 26, the court voted 3-2 that Little was responsible for damage made to the Confederate statue back in August during a demonstration.

The damage to the statue included Little pouring red ink on the base and smearing her own blood on it. Little was punished with a warning letter along with 18 hours of community service over a three-month span.

In the past, Little has publically spoken out against the actions of UNC-CH towards black students at demonstrations and town halls at the university.

Seeking Quali ed Eggs Donors.

Donors will receive up to $4500.

The North Carolina Center for Reproductive Medicine is in need of women 19-32 for egg donation. Donors will receive up to $4500. Visit NCCRM.com or call (919) 233-1680.