It’s Officially Election Day!
November 3rd is a big day for voters across the country to head to the polls and make their voices count. Voting is essential because it gives us the opportunity to have a say in who should represent us. Having strong representation and leadership is extremely important, especially during this time of economic uncertainty.
However, not all college students have easy access to these polling places. I’ve heard classmates and friends voice concerns about not having transportation to travel back to their hometowns to vote. I’ve also heard students talk about how inconvenient it can be to travel out of the way to just cast a vote, especially during exam season. Another concern is that a lot of students tend to forget to update their voter registration information when they move to college. This results in students either traveling back home to vote or simply not voting at all due to the hassle.
This is a problem… If students can’t easily access polling places, that can lead to lower voter turnout among Gen Z.
According to CIRCLE (2026), “Nearly 50 million young people, ages 18–29, will be eligible to vote in the 2026 midterm elections.” This tells me that there is a large number of young people who are eligible to vote right now, which makes it even more important for college students to have easy access to polling places.
Our voices need to be heard.
North Carolina A&T State University and UNC Greensboro students marched to the polls after losing their on-campus early voting locations. WFDD reporter Rachel Moody (2026) states that, “It took A&T students about 45 minutes to reach Union Square — now the closest early polling place.” This really shows how difficult it can be for college students to vote when polling places are not easily accessible.
Our votes are needed.
Therefore, we need voting polls on college campuses ASAP. College students need to have a voice and be able to vote for the change they want to see.
Our future is on the line.
We most definitely need to start having conversations and advocating for voting polls to be added to college campuses. Our voices matter, and our votes are needed.
Get out and vote today! To find your closest polling location and learn more about voting, visit https://vote.gov/
References:
Moody, R. (2026, October 16). After losing on-campus voting sites, NC A&T and UNCG students march to polls. 88.5 WFDD; WFDD. https://www.wfdd.org/politics-government/2026-10-16/after-losing-on-campus-voting-sites-nc-a-t-and-uncg-students-march-to-polls
49 Million young people will be eligible to vote in the 2026 midterms. (2026, May 20). Civicyouth. https://circle.tufts.edu/latest-research/49-million-young-people-will-be-eligible-vote-2026-midterms