From before dawn to after dusk, thousands of Villanova students waited outside the John and Joan Mullen Center for the Performing Arts, commonly referred to as “PAC,” to cast their votes in the 2024 general election.
This election marked the first time students who live on campus could vote here on campus. Students used to vote between four different voting locations, and now all voted today in PAC.
“It definitely took a long time, but it went very smoothly,” senior environmental science major Kayla MacKinnon said. “I did see people cutting the line, though, but having Hally Ammons there was great and a welcoming environment.”
Ammons, as well as other representatives from Let’s Vote ‘Nova, were at the polls all day, helping students make sure they were correctly registered to vote and answering any questions that voters had going into the polls.
Throughout the day, as more and more students finished classes and found time to wait, the line began to wrap all the way around the building, and students waited for up to four hours in order to make sure their voices were heard.
“I waited in line to vote from 11:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.,” junior Katherine Carney said.
“I wish there was a way to make it go faster, or that there was a timer, like at Disney, that showed how long there was to wait,” junior economics and environmental science major Alex Potter said.
However, voting on campus had its perks. Cinematic star Paul Rudd made a surprise appearance on campus, encouraging voters to stay in line and let their voices be heard while handing out water and snacks. In addition, the nonpartisan nonprofit Pizza to the Polls sent over 15 pies to campus to help feed voters as they waited in line.
One of the main criticisms with this election was that Villanova did not cancel classes today, causing a sense of voter suppression on campus. With students having classes as early as 8:30 a.m. and as late as 6 p.m., there were hard decisions to be made: to miss class or to risk not being able to vote.
“I skipped class to vote because I was new to the voting process and greatly underestimated how long it would take,” freshman Sabrina Damien said. “I think classes should’ve been canceled because this is an event that only happens every four years, it’s special enough to excuse just one day. Villanova should do as much as it can to encourage students to vote.”
Voting on campus not only increased voter turnout, but also helped students become encouraged to learn more about the candidates and cast educated ballots.
“I feel like with how much talk has been happening about voting on campus and this election, I was encouraged to educate myself and felt confident walking into the polls” a sophomore biology major who requested anonymity said. “I walked into the polls knowing I was going to vote for Harris in order to protect democracy. If it was not for all the talk about politics on campus, I might not have made that decision.”
“I am thankful to have been able to make an educated decision in this election,” a senior marketing major, who also requested anonymity, said. “I am confident in my decision to have voted for Trump in this election. I was able to make this decision on my own, and I am grateful for the push to become more educated on the topics at hand in this election.”
