Students looking to cast their ballots on Election Day will have transportation available through a shuttle service organized by Elon Votes.
On Tuesday March 3, a shuttle will run from The Center for the Arts to two polling locations in Alamance County: Elon Elementary School and First Baptist Church of Elon.
Andrew Moffa, assistant director in the Kernodle Center for Civic Life and co-staff advisor for Elon Votes, said the goal is to remove transportation as a barrier.
“Our goal is to make voting as accessible as possible for everyone associated with Elon, especially our students,” Mofa said. “We know that transportation can be a barrier, so this is our way to help remove that barrier for students who are registered to vote in the county and would like to vote on Election Day.”
While the university has offered transportation during midterm and presidential elections in the past, this is the first time the service is being used for a primary election.
“We know it’s a need, and we want to make sure students don’t just have access during presidential elections, but also during the primaries,” Moffa said.
Elon University is split into two voting precincts: Boone 5 and North Boone. The shuttle transports students to one of two polling locations depending on where they live on campus. They can arrive at The Center for the Arts, where a representative from Elon Votes confirms voter registration status and directs them to the correct bus. The shuttle is driven by an Elon Express driver.
Ashley Hess, a junior and one of the civic engagement leaders for Elon Votes, said one of the biggest challenges is understanding the precinct boundaries.
“One of the biggest challenges of Elon’s campus, specifically, is that it’s split kind of down the middle into two different precincts,” Hess said. “So a lot of times there can be confusion on where specifically you’re going to vote.”
Hess said volunteers check where students are registered and make sure they get on the bus to the correct polling location.
“We have our system set up so that we can check where they’re registered to vote,” Hess said. “It can change depending on which residence hall you live in or where your off-campus housing is.”
Turnout for smaller elections is usually slow but she emphasized the importance of the service regardless of numbers.
“It’s really important that we do this because if even one person misses out on that opportunity, they’re losing their right to vote,” Hess said.
Simply seeing the table set up inside The Center for the Arts can get them to think about their voting plan, Hess said.
“A lot of people don’t know it’s Election Day,” Hess said. “Even if just seeing our table makes someone think, ‘Am I registered to vote? I don’t know what my voting plan is?”’
Hess said helping students navigate elections is about encouraging young people to recognize their role in the community.
“It can be really easy to get sucked into college life,” Hess said. “But this is your right. You have to make your voice heard, and we’re giving people that opportunity.”
Moffa said he has seen increasing student engagement during his time at Elon and hopes that trend continues.
“We know that everyone should have a voice in elections and by voting, you’re helping share your voice,” Moffa said. “I’m always proud when students go to vote.”
The shuttle will operate throughout Election Day for students who choose to vote in-person.