UChicago students can vote early on campus from October 30 to November 1 thanks in part to efforts from many campus political organizations. One such organization is UChiVotes, a non-partisan initiative run through the Institute of Politics, which aims to encourage voter engagement in the UChicago community.
The organization is led by co-chairs Shannon Dye and Davis Turner, both fourth-years, and focuses on creating a culture of “lifelong voting.” The Maroon spoke with Dye and Turner about what UChiVotes is doing to help UChicago community members participate in this year’s election.
UChicago will be hosting early voting through Chicago’s College/University Early Voting Program at the Reynolds Club. Polls will be open Wednesday, October 30, through Friday, November 1, starting at 10 a.m. and ending at 5 p.m. There is no difference between a vote cast early and a vote cast on election day.
“There’s definitely less stress to early voting,” Turner said. “I know that people are complaining about long lines at early voting sites across the country, but typically the site isn’t too busy in Reynolds.”
Students and community members voting on election day must do so in their precinct’s poll location, which can be found under “Voting in Illinois” on the UChiVotes website. Hours of operation for each poll station vary. UChiVotes will also have a table in the Reynolds Club to help voters find their polling locations and answer any questions.
Illinois is one of 22 states that allows same-day registration. Registered voters do not need to bring any form of identification or proof of residence to the polls, but the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners recommends carrying a government ID in case of any issues with the registration.
Unregistered voters with Illinois state driver’s licenses only need to bring the license; others must bring a form of ID such as an out-of-state driver’s license, state ID, or passport, as well as proof of residence. On-campus students can find proof of residence on the myHousing portal, and off-campus students can bring a copy of utility bills, leases, or other official documents with their address listed. All unregistered voters must also know the last four digits of their Social Security number.
UChiVotes partners with many groups on campus, such as Housing and Residence Life, Undergraduate Student Government, and College Democrats and Republicans, to help spread voting information within their organizations.
On October 25, UChivotes is working with Midwave Radio to host a free voting-themed concert. UChiVotes Voting Ambassadors will be present to assist in voter registration, and there is a $10 suggested donation for the bands who have donated their time to the concert.
Most students are familiar with UChiVotes through tabling events staffed by Voting Ambassadors, who are UChiVotes team members trained to educate about elections, voting, and voter registration.
“I was very involved in politics throughout high school, but it wasn’t until later that I learned actually how low voter turnout was,” Dye said. “Since I found out that fact, I was like, this is crazy. We need to do something about this.”
“The year I got to Chicago was also the first year that I was eligible to vote, and I was really, really excited to vote, and I wanted people to be as excited as I was,” Turner said. “I was a voting ambassador my first year.”
UChiVotes has recently focused on building connections within the UChicago community, with an emphasis on outreach to students in on-campus housing. “One thing we’ve learned from psychology is that the more you can get voting [visible] just out and about, it doesn’t have to be difficult to persuade people,” Dye said. “That’s why we like to talk about a culture of voting—if you see it everywhere, you’re more likely to remember deadlines, to remember to request your ballot, [to] remember to mail it in.”
