Transportation should not have been an issue for students stuck on campus who needed to cast their vote.
Student Government Association, along with the College Republicans and University Democrats, provided a shuttle service called the Red, White and Blue loop that bused students to Delaware County Fairgrounds and the Anthony Administration Building from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., when the polls officially closed.
The loop picked students up from Kinghorn Hall and LaFollette Complex.
“As of 2:50 p.m. there [had] been 149 students [bused],” SGA president Chris Wilkey said.
Wilkey said the only malfunction was a 20-minute delay when the bus first began running because of mechanical issues.
He said the driver of the shuttle told him he had never seen anything like this in his 21 years of employment at Ball State.
Junior Alyssa France, governmental affairs and student awareness committee chair for SGA, said participation from students has increased from previous years.
“Students are responding well to it, they are glad that we are providing that service so they can go vote,” France said. “This has been one of the best civically engaged years on campus as far as elections go.”
Wilkey said he expected around 300 students to have utilized the shuttle service provided by SGA, but said they will not have a definite number until this morning.
“I just really hope everyone [went] out and [voted],” France said. “It’s really great to have that right as an American to be able to vote and partake in our government that way, so I hope they use every service provided to them and every resource.”
