2008 Woodie Awards
Voters at new campus polling location make election history
Sarah Kloepping & Jerica Harvey
Issue date: 2/20/08 Section: News
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During the first four hours, about 150 students from District 2 voted at the Hamilton Center in the University Center.
Overall students think the new site is more convenient than the Old Armory downtown where voters from the city's four other districts cast their ballots.
Robert Preuss, junior, said voting at the Hamilton Center was much easier than going to the Old Armory, Whitewater's only other polling station.
"I have class right over here," Preuss said. "I think more people will vote this year because they will walk by the [UC] and say, 'Oh, I have to go vote.'"
Chase Stevens, a first-time voter, said he would have less likely voted if the campus polling station didn't exist.
"I didn't want to have to go anywhere," Stevens said. "It is nice to be able to come here in between classes."
Former Whitewater Student Government President Paul Sanchez, said as of 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, the process had gone smoothly.
"I think when [the crowd] picks up we'll be able to handle the rush of registrations," Sanchez said.
WSG is using the primary as a preliminary run for the November elections. So far the only major concern is the amount of parking.
"We've been working with various officials throughout the university to reserve parking for [voters] and poll workers," Sanchez said.
Sanchez said after the primary election, he and other members of WSG will evaluate the process and decide if any policies for campus polls need to be revised or added.
Sanchez said students have been fighting for an on-campus polling station since the 1980s. After being elected, he discussed policies and guidelines for a new location with City Clerk Michelle Smith.
"Over the next six or seven months, we spoke with city councilmen, administration, city officials and we put together a bulletproof proposal," Sanchez said.
The proposal was brought to Whitewater City Council and passed with only one vote opposing it.
WSG Public Relations Director Jean Wennlund said at approximately 10 a.m., only two people had gone to the Old Armory from District 2.
From about 8:30-9:30 a.m. at the Old Armory, 55 percent of voters polled chose Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D- New York, received about 35 percent of votes polled and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., received 7.8 percent.
From 7-11 a.m. at the UC, 75 percent of voters polled chose Obama, about 13 percent voted for Clinton and 4.5 percent voted for McCain.
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