Strolls to the Polls, an event hosted by the Center for Community Engagement, has been helping students to cast their ballots for the 2024 election by offering walks to the early voting poll site at the Staybridge Suites on Genesee St.
Strolls to the Polls helps students cast their ballots early and is a part of the Get Out the Vote effort, according to Director of the Center for Community Engagement Glenn Cerosaletti.
Cerosaletti called the event a way of “demystifying the process” for first-time voters. He hopes that Strolls to the Polls makes voting “less intimidating” and “more fun.”
Although turnout for Strolls to the Polls has been low this year, Cerosaletti shared that it might be because many students are not from the Rochester area and chose to register in their home states.
For students wanting to vote in Rochester, the deadline to register to vote in the state of New York passed on Oct. 26.
There are still options for students who would like to participate. Cerosaletti shared that voters registered in other areas of New York can vote by affidavit ballot. This means that a student could go to the polling site on Election Day and vote in-person. Their vote would count for this district, but after the election their registration would be updated to their university address or the local address that they listed on the affidavit ballot.
The deadline to request a New York absentee ballot by mail has also passed, Cerosaletti said, but one can still be requested in person at the Board of Elections on West Main St. As long as it is postmarked by Nov. 5, the ballot will still count.
To vote on Election Day (Tuesday, Nov. 5), students who live on campus must use the polling site at Plymouth Garden Apartments, which is half of a mile from the University.
For students who feel it is too late to vote, or feel discouraged from voting, Cerosaletti encourages visiting the Center for Community Engagement. He said he would be “happy to speak to students about their particular situation and to guide them through it,”
He also encouraged students to learn from their experiences. Voting in midterm and local elections is another way to exercise your voice.
“We need to be thinking about [voting] on an ongoing basis, not just in presidential election cycles,” Cerosaletti said.
Voter registration status can be checked through TurboVote for any student regardless of what state they are from.
