Early voting begins at UC Davis

Written by ALYSOUN BONDE
Staff Writer
Published on October 28, 2008
Filed under Campus News

As students lined up in the Memorial Union to cast their ballots a week before the election, Students for Barack Obama held a rally on the Quad to encourage students to vote early.

“Early voting is really important,” said Ryan Loney, head of UC Davis Students for Barack Obama. “We want to make sure everyone gets to vote and they don’t have to miss class or work.“

The county elections office, in partnership with the Graduate Student Association, is offering early voting for all registered Yolo County voters. The polling place is located across from the post office in the Memorial Union and is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Friday.

Over 1,700 students voted early at UC Davis in 2004.

“We need to double that,” said Davis City Councilmember Lamar Heystek at the rally. “The sooner the votes get in, the sooner they are counted.“

Yolo County Clerk Recorder Freddie Oakley also spoke at the event encouraging students to take advantage of early voting.

“It’s easier for [the county],” she said. “The numbers you see coming in on election night at 8:05 are early voters.“

UC Davis is the only campus in Northern California to have early voting, Oakley said.

 

ALYSOUN BONDE can be reached at campus@californiaaggie.com.