Election day is fast approaching, and three Eastern Michigan University upperclassmen are aiming to change campus policy before students hit the polls.
On Aug. 31, 2024, Julianna Loomis, a sophomore studying both political science and nonprofit administration, created a petition on Change.org.
“When I first started working at engage, I was told we don’t have Election day off on campus. I thought ‘huh, somebody should change that,’ and three days later I decided that someone could be me,” said Loomis.
With nearly 800 signatures as of this writing, the petition recommends that EMU administration relieve students of class on election day to give more time for students to vote.
The petition titled ‘Grant EMU Students a Break on Election Day, November 5th, 2024,’ states, “A designated Election Day school break will not only help ensure students aren't compromised between education and democracy, but also encourage higher voter turnout results among our university community.”
Fellow upperclassmen, and nonprofit administration majors Emily Lopez and Chatham McGuire have also worked on the project. While the EMU administration has yet to comment on this request, the three hope to still create some type of change with their efforts.
“If not getting election day off, at least making sure that everybody knows that their constitutional right to vote is fundamental to their existence as a US citizen,” said Loomis.
Around campus, EMU affiliated clubs and staff have been numerous in their efforts to encourage student participation in the upcoming election. However, the three organizers of the election day petition believe that this support is not enough.
“I don't understand why on campus there are so many organizations that are encouraging people to vote, and educating them as much as they can - then stopping right before the finish line?” asked Lopez.
As stated by the three students, the main goal of their petition remains making it as easy as possible for students to involve themselves civically.
“Historically younger people vote less. I want to motivate my peers and make it as convenient as possible to vote,” said McGuire, who wishes to see their efforts surpass just election day. “If we can get through and get the day off, I don’t think we should stop there. Making it a fully civic day, where students are encouraged to go to the polls and volunteer, watch the news, engage themselves in the election - educate them more of what’s going on. Give students the full day to be completely immersed in it.”
According to a 2020 article written by ABC news, young people are more likely to not vote because of the hurdles they face. ”In our survey, almost one-quarter (22 percent) of young people said that when they didn’t end up casting a ballot, they had actually wanted to but couldn’t.”
The group hopes, no matter the outcome of their petition, that their message is still heard. While mail-in voting is an option for students, the three recommend that students still try to go in person to the polls.
“I want to talk directly to the administration, and the people who make decisions about when our breaks are when I say this: We are here, we have voices and they do matter. I do not believe a university should be the first barrier students have to voting,” said Loomis, who hopes the impact of their petition leaves students more informed, and more eager to vote this upcoming November.
For more information on this petition, scan the QR code to be taken directly to the Change.org page. To get a hold of the organizers directly, Julianna Loomis, the petition’s original designer, can be contacted through email at jloomis5@emich.edu.
To register for a mail-in ballot, students can find more information online at voteriders.org. For Ypsilanti residents wishing to vote in-person, poll locations can be found online at cityofypsilanti.com.
