UNC Charlotte students calling for permanent voting location on campus

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - After hundreds of students from UNC Charlotte marched to the polls in University City on Thursday, organizers of the event want to grow support for an on-campus voting location for every election.

In the past, including during the 2024 presidential election, the Cone Building on campus served as a voting precinct. This midterm election cycle, there was not a location for students to vote on campus.

Junior Sawyer Hook, who is the founder of the non-profit The Greater Good and led the march, wants that to change.

Read --> Hundreds of UNC Charlotte students march to polls during early voting

“What I was told is that we don’t have a polling site for midterms because of the lack of turnout. So that kind of goes into why are we doing this in the first place for marches. If (people) don’t think we have enough turnout, now we’re going to show you some turnout,” he said.

Hook says 350 students voted at the nearest polling location to campus, the Former University City Library, during the march.

The location is a 33 minute walk and a five minute drive from the Popp Martin Student Union in the center of campus.

Azillyah McDonald, a senior, is in agreement that students should have dedicated on-campus space to vote regardless of how close a local precinct is to UNC Charlotte.

“I believe that having a set space for us to not only go and vote but get information on voting is important because a lot of people like myself don’t vote because we aren’t aware of the things or the process that takes place in order for us to go and do that and how it actually affects our everyday lives,” McDonald said.

The Mecklenburg County Board of Elections says that the Former University City Library has been a long standing voting site in the area.

It was provided to us for this election," said Public Information Manager Kristin Mavromatis. “It was a choice the Board had to make and they choose to utilize the location more accessible to all residents of Mecklenburg County.”