One of America's most fundamental liberties is the right for everyone to vote.
It is the foundation of our government and is indeed the foundation of democracy.
One thing we should all be dedicated to is making sure that all voters get the chance to voice their opinion.
We also need to make sure the election is conducted fairly and honorably.
The idea of early voting is a sound idea. It seems unnecessary to have one outside of downtown, though. A proposal, as many of you know, was brought forward to put an early-voting station on Ball State University's campus.
It seems an odd choice, and the reasons given for it are questionable at the very best.
The point of a satellite voting station is to allow everybody easy access to a polling place should they decide to vote before Election Day.
In my discussions with Ball State students regarding the proposed satellite, one question has yet to get a straight and honest answer: Why, if Delaware County is in such a desperate need for a satellite station, would they place it 1.5 miles from the county's other early voting station?
There must be at least a dozen better places for a satellite voting station in Delaware County. Why wouldn't the people in charge want to put these stations farther from downtown?
Put the satellite in the outskirts of Delaware County. Ball State's campus is not the best choice.
Some students said it is a large burden for them to get out to the polls on Election Day. This is a ridiculous statement. Students who use their Ball State address when registering to vote will be placed in a polling location that is easily within walking distance, defusing almost any claim of hardship.
In fact, Nov. 4, many will actually vote on campus. Any student who desires to vote early still has two sound options as far as that goes, as well. Many students vote by absentee ballot, which carries all the weight of a traditional ballot. Also, if they want to vote early, they can go downtown on the MITS and vote at the County Building starting Oct. 6.
The bus runs every 15 minutes, and there is no charge. Regional voting centers have been great assets to other counties in Indiana. But these had things going for them that we simply don't have in this instance. They were not being hastily organized in the 11th hour.
Also, more care was taken to locate areas that would be of the most benefit to the county. Personally, I am against this measure because there are simply too many questions.
The County Election Board asked for the members to vote for the concept and work out the details afterward. That is absurd.
No one should be making governmental decisions in this manner - especially in a county that already has voter fraud investigations.
This is a dynamic election. It has young Americans more excited than ever.
I think I speak for everyone when I say I want them all to get out and vote their minds. I just want to make sure we are approaching this election with the amount of professionalism and care it deserves.
Write to Alex at apcarroll@bsu.edu
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