Collegiate Times

In a country where every vote counts, easy access to a polling location is necessary. All logical signs of a polling location for Virginia Tech students to vote point to a location on campus. However, the parties involved in organizing a polling location for students neglected to take on any part of ownership or responsibility in the search for a new location.

Each party involved assumed the other party had already started the process or was actively involved. However, this was not the case and it resulted in keeping the polling location at the airport, 1.5 miles away from campus, where the only ways to get there are to drive or take a rerouted bus.

When asked whether any mistakes were made in the process, Randy Wertz, the Montgomery County registrar said it was no one's fault, just because everyone based opinions on assumptions. However, that is where the mistake is found.

No party that was sought after to try and change the polling location did anything. The mistakes and faults lie within every party involved because no action other than assumption was taken. 

Looking forward to 2016, each party involved in changing the polling location must step up and take action to move forward. Students must also advocate for themselves throughout the process. Hopefully, this past election has informed the registrar’s office, the university and any other group involved that assuming achieves nothing and action and communication — no matter how small — is necessary to give students a place to exercise their right to vote.

A version of this article appeared in the Nov 28 issue of the Collegiate Times.