Publication Date
3-2-2022
Abstract
ETSU announces early voting location
Pictured from left to right: Jodi Jones, Margaret Davis, Zach Smith, Joy Fulkerson, David Crabtree, Dana Jones. Titles are available here.JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (March 2, 2022) – East Tennessee State University will be the site of an early voting location on campus, providing students, faculty, staff and other members of the community a convenient location to participate in early voting. To celebrate the achievement, the Office of Leadership and Civic Engagement’s ETSU Votes initiative, in partnership with the Washington County Election Commission, hosted an unveiling ceremony Wednesday, March 2, at 11 a.m. The early voting site will be located in room 219 of the D.P. Culp Student Center.
The news comes after ETSU received a report from the Institute for Democracy & Higher Education that revealed student voting on campus increased significantly during the 2020 presidential election. The report indicated student voting percentage rose from 46.8% in 2016 to 64.3% in 2020 for a total of 17.5% increase overall. The efforts led by the Office of Leadership and Civic Engagement and the student-led ETSU Votes initiative helped to propel an increase in student participation in general elections, earning ETSU a Voter Friendly Campus designation for the 2021-2022 year.
“We are so excited to give ETSU students the opportunity to cast their ballot on-campus this year,” said Joy Fulkerson, director of Leadership and Civic Engagement. “It’s a natural complement to our work of providing students with the tools and resources to register to vote, confirm their voter registration status, determine how and where to vote, understand what is on their ballot and pledge to vote. I look forward to our continuing to increase student voter participation at ETSU.”
The early voting site will not be in operation during the entirety of early voting periods. The early voting period for the 2022 County Primary elections will begin April 13 and end April 28. During this time, the early voting site on ETSU’s campus will be in operation from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. starting April 18 and ending April 22. The site will also be open on the dates of July 18-22 and the dates of October 24-28 respective to their early voting periods.
“We are thrilled to have ETSU serve as an early voting site for Washington County,” said Washington County Election Commission Administrator of Elections Dana Jones. “What a wonderful opportunity this is for students, faculty, staff, alumni and the larger community. We know when people can cast their ballot in familiar places, more voters vote.”
For further information on the Office of Leadership and Civic Engagement’s efforts to promote voting on campus, or to learn more about ETSU’s new early voting site, contact Fulkerson at fulkersj@etsu.edu or call (423) 439-8328.
Document Type
News Article
