Taylor Jensen and Kenney Kost
Early voting sites are available on four campuses until Nov. 2.
Students, faculty, volunteers and com- munity members showed up to the early voting sites available on four campuses until Nov. 2.
Polls are open 7 a.m.-7 p.m., and sites are located in NSTU 1506 on NE Campus, SSTU 1112 on South Campus, the WTLO lobby on NW Campus and the North Ball- room on SE Campus.
NW student Kathy Smith said she con- siders the site on her campus the most con- venient way to vote.
“Today was the first day, and I knew I wanted to vote,” she said. “It was nice to see the signs up and know I could come here and not worry about crowds or long lines.”
This election felt like choosing be- tween the lesser of two evils, but it wasn’t a tough decision, Smith said.
“I had already made up my mind about who I would choose before I voted,” she said without revealing her choice. “I agreed with him a little bit more than the other guy.”
Smith, who is not a first-time voter, said everyone should vote even when it’s difficult.
“Even though people think their vote
doesn’t matter, it does,” she said. “It’s a way of becoming more aware.”
Voting is an important aspect of one’s freedom, said volunteer Arthur Flores at the NW Campus site. The site is available to a lot of people, not just students, Flores said.
“Voting is not just a right but a privilege,” he said.
NE student and first-time voter Su Deep said it’s important to know the candilates.
“There’s no point in voting if you don’t know what you’re doing,” he said.
In general, America needs a strong decision-maker, Deep said.
“I don’t like people that say one thing one minute and then have completely different views later,” he said.
NE student Araceli Rodriguez said that at age 24, she is finally ready to vote.
“I feel like now that I’m back in school, I am more educated on what’s going on,” she said. “When I was younger, a lot of kids voted what their parents voted for, and I think that’s dumb. I know I didn’t agree with who my parents voted for.”
NE student Anthony Jackson said he was eager to vote for the first time.
“It was a good feeling,” he said. “I felt empowered.”
The two main parties have parts to like and not like, he said.
“You have to know what beliefs you support and what candidate would be best for you,” he said.
Jackson said he was looking for a candidate that would not only stand by his decisions but consider the outcome.
“We need someone who can take in ideas but are firm with their decisions. We need somebody who can get stuff done,” he said. “I think that was our problem. We’re talking and talking, but were not really getting much done.”
NW volunteer George Keyes said he appreciated TCC offering its facilities for willing voters.
“You can’t do anything more important in life than to vote,” he said. “One day, you’ll look back on how you voted and see the difference it made.”
