President of the Ball State University Democrats Mike Uehlein knows how much of a difference eight days can make in college politics.
When the Sept. 9 Delaware County Election Board meeting began, Uehlein was confident in his joint statement with Campus Republican President R.J. Crace in support of the early voting satellite office on campus. Now Uehlein is fighting partisanship on both the campus and county level. With the election board set to meet today on the early voting issue, Uehlein said campus has came a long way in a little more than a week.
"This is the most energized I've seen this campus about any issue," he said.
The debate started during a Sept. 4 election board meeting when board president Phil Nichols, a Democrat, announced the idea of putting a satellite voting center on campus. Delaware county Republican chairman Kaye Whitehead quickly dismissed the referendum, saying it was a Democrat political ploy and it would encourage uninformed students to cast their ballots early and be easily swayed by freebies such as hot dogs, according to a Sept. 8 article in The Star Press.
Whitehead's comments about students voting Democrat do not go without backing.
Precinct 26 --home to Ball State-- voted overwhelmingly Democrat in last spring's Indiana primary and the 2007 municipal election, with many Democratic candidates receiving three times as many votes as their republican opponents.
If passed, the election site is set to be at the L.A. Pittenger Student Center. The location was chosen because of its placement between Delaware County's two largest employers-- Ball State and Ball Memorial Hospital-- totaling more than 30,000 potential voters, Delaware County Clerk Steve Craycraft said.
"They could go to vote on their lunch break," Craycraft said.
Campus early voting sites have a history of success, Craycraft said. Indiana University in Monroe County, Purdue University in Tippecanoe County and Indiana State University in Vigo County have operated successful early voting booths. Ball State and The University of Notre Dame remain the last two Division 1 Indiana colleges without an early voting site on their grounds.
Uehlein said a petition would be offered to the election board with more than 150 names in favor of Ball State hosting the early voting site. Also, students have started a Facebook group titled 'Petition for early election day site on Ball State's campus' that has about 150 members and the Facebook event 'Fight for your Right to Vote!' has more than 135 people who said they would be at the election board meeting.
Uehlein was also supported by the Indiana College Democrats in a news release Wednesday.
Uehlein said today's student turnout is expected to be high.
"There's no way of knowing for sure, but if you go by the petition and excitement we've seen on campus, it looks like it's going to be better than last time," he said.
The Sept. 9 election board meeting had more than 20 students attend. The lone student voice against the idea was Campus Republican treasurer Robert Burgess, who said the site's location needs to be better thought out before the Oct.6 deadline.
Burgess' voice didn't go unsupported. Bill Bruns, the only Republican on the three-member election board, was not convinced the satellite site was needed.
Bruns declined to comment about his position on the issue during a phone call at his office Monday.
The board must have an unanimous vote to pass the referendum and, Nichols said Bruns' vote is the lone obstacle in the way.
Student Government President Frank Hood said the Student Government Association would donate up to $1,500 to support the campus site. A letter of support from President Jo Ann Gora was also read.
Seeing the student support, Craycraft said the partisan divide shouldn't matter with this issue.
"We have an opportunity to try something that will work," Craycraft said. "Partisan politics can easily ruin this. That's why the community is in the shape it's in right now. We shouldn't list to partisan politics and do what's right."
Go seeElection Board MeetingTime: 1 p.m., todayWhere: Delaware County Building (100 W. MainMuncie, IN 47305)
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