Tuesday, on-campus early voting will start at 11 a.m. in three University of Wisconsin locations for the Nov. 3 election.
The Morgridge Center Voter Engagement and Civic Learning Coordinator Zachery Holder said if students are not already registered, they can register to vote at the early voting sites and vote as soon as they are registered. Early voting will take place outside from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week from Oct. 20 to Oct. 30 at Memorial Union, Union South and East Campus Mall, Holder said.
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Holder said the Morgridge Center has been encouraging students to get involved in the democratic process and said voting early is important this year.
“Given the national pandemic, you just don’t know what your health will look like on Election Day,” Holder said.
Additionally, poll lines will likely be longer on Election Day, so it’s advantageous to vote early to avoid crowds of people, Holder said. If more people vote early, lines will be shorter on Election Day, making voting safer and easier for those who choose to vote Nov. 3, Holder said.
Students should make sure to bring a valid ID, their phone and a pen, Holder said. Students are encouraged to bring the ID they used to register with, and if they do not have valid identification, they can use the printing stations to print a student voter ID.
Students are advised to bring their phone in case they need proof of residence or any other aid, and they should bring a pen to reduce touchpoints while voting, Holder said.
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“It’s really important for our students to participate in civic engagement,” Holder said.
In case UW students need some incentive to vote, Holder said they can keep in mind that the University of Minnesota won the last Big Ten Voting Challenge.
Holder also said students should take the “ALL IN to Vote Pledge.” This pledge encourages voting among students in a fun, competitive way by planting the seed in their head to vote while pitting their voting numbers against other schools, Holder said.
