While many Duke students intend to vote this November, their actual plans for Election Day — including where to vote, how to vote and who to vote for — are somewhat ambiguous.
As Nov. 5 draws closer, The Chronicle spoke with Duke students to learn more about their voting plans and how informed they feel going to the polls.
For many students planning to cast a ballot, the question of whether to do so during the early voting period or on Election Day still remains. First-year Alexa Jacob is planning to vote during the advance voting period but is unsure about how to do so.
“I’m not really sure how it works,” she said. “I want to get more information on that.”
She expressed a need for information on “how to actually vote” and “go through the early voting process.”
Students were also uncertain about where to go to vote on Election Day. Some believed they could vote on Duke’s campus Nov. 5, while others had no idea about local polling locations.
The Karsh Alumni and Visitors Center will be available as a polling location during the early voting period. The facility will be open for Durham residents to cast their ballots from Oct. 17 to Nov. 2 and will also have resources for same-day registration.
Those hoping to vote on Election Day can check their polling location at the North Carolina State Board of Elections website. Students living on East Campus will vote at George Watts Elementary School — 700 Watts St., Durham, N.C. 27701 — and students who live on West Campus will vote at Patterson Recreation Center — 2614 Crest St., Durham, N.C. 27705. Per the NCSBE, polling locations will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, and voters in line at their assigned polling place by 7:30 p.m. will be allowed to cast their vote.
Students pointed to Duke Votes as an organization that has been active in providing information on voting logistics in recent weeks, tabling on the Bryan Center Plaza and outside of Marketplace to engage students. Jacob noted that she registered to vote in North Carolina after speaking with a Duke Votes representative outside of Marketplace.
However, many students acknowledged that they have yet to take advantage of available resources.
Junior Isabella Tang echoed Jacob’s uncertainty on the voting process, saying she felt unprepared “in terms of logistics” but convinced of “the importance of voting this season.”
In-state students demonstrated a clearer idea of how to vote this fall, with some consulting family members to form a plan.
Sophomore Danielle Lipp, a North Carolina resident, shared that she intends to carpool with her father to her local polling location on Election Day. She explained that she has been registered since obtaining her driver’s license at age 16, adding that she checks to make sure her registration is still active before every election.
Regardless of how they go about it, many Duke students are passionate about voting in the upcoming election.
“Go vote,” said first-year Christopher Tarro. “… Your voice matters, no matter what anyone tells you.”
Lipp agreed with Tarro, adding that “everyone should vote — especially college kids.”
In the 2020 presidential election, 70.2% of eligible Duke students voted, 4.2% greater than the 66% average across all institutions, according to data from The National Study of Learning, Voting and Engagement. Though, the University’s registration rate was 79% compared to the 82% national average.
While several students underscored the importance of voting this year, many still haven’t decided which boxes they’re checking on the ballot a month out from Election Day.
Jacob and first-year Ethan Dennis shared that they do not yet have a plan for their votes for any of the races on this year’s ballot. First-years Ava Grant and Joseph Chudnovsky both know who they’re casting their vote for in the presidential race but are undecided on other races, including those for governor, state legislature, state Supreme Court and the U.S. House of Representatives.
Many Duke students expressed the sentiment that conducting individual research on the 2024 election over the coming weeks is essential. Dennis and Tarro both conveyed that being from out-of-state has left them less informed about North Carolina races.
“I was planning on voting for the Rhode Island election, so I knew everything about that, but then my plan shifted,” Tarro said. “I’m going to do my own individual research, [and] I have a lot of friends from North Carolina, [so I’m going to] get their input and kind of come to my own conclusion.”
Lipp agreed with Dennis and Tarro about needing to do more research on down-ballot races.
“I actually like to know who I’m voting for [and] not just pick willy-nilly when I get there,” she said.
For out-of-state students, the choice to vote in North Carolina is a meaningful one. Dennis and Tarro shared that they had decided to register in North Carolina instead of their respective home states of Illinois and Rhode Island, while Grant expressed her intention to switch her registration from South Carolina.
“My vote will be more impactful here than there,” Grant said.
The deadline to register to vote in North Carolina is 5 p.m. Oct. 11. Students can find more information in The Chronicle’s guide to voter registration, and those who have already registered can check their status at the NCSBE Voter Search website.
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