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How GOP Election Boards Are Attacking College Voters
Republican-controlled election boards in Texas, North Carolina and Ohio have removed or denied polling places at campuses, including those serving large numbers of Black and Latino students. The changes may make in-person voting harder for students, many of whom lack cars and must fit trips around classes and work, in battleground states where close races could affect control of the Senate.
In Tarrant County, Texas, officials cut 92 approved polling locations, including the University of Texas at Arlington, where more than 8,000 people voted early in 2024; a judge rejected a bid to restore the sites. In North Carolina, a 3-2 vote denied campus early voting at North Carolina A&T and UNC Greensboro, prompting students to organise a march and transport options. At Ohio’s Central State University, the nearest polling place was moved to a church described as a two-and-a-half-hour walk from campus.
In short
- Campus polling places have been cut or denied in three states.
- Students are organising marches, registration drives and rides to vote.
- The changes add travel barriers in closely contested states.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters of the changes could argue that election boards must allocate limited staff and facilities across a county, apply consistent criteria to all proposed polling sites, and avoid treating campus locations as automatic priorities. They may say voters retain other ways to cast ballots and that decisions should be judged by their practical effect and stated administrative rationale, rather than by who controls the board.
The case against
Critics could argue that removing campus polling places predictably burdens students, especially those without cars or with inflexible work and class schedules, and can reduce access for Black and Latino voters where campuses serve many of them. They would say boards should weigh those foreseeable barriers and the sites’ past use, because formally available alternatives may not be realistically reachable and equal voting rights require practical access.
Explained simply
Election boards decide where people can vote in person, including whether polling places are available on university campuses. In the United States, some states allow early voting before election day, which can give voters more flexibility.
Students may rely on buses or walking and need to fit voting around classes and jobs. Campus polling places can also serve large numbers of Black and Latino students. Access to a nearby place to vote may matter in closely contested states, where election results can affect which party controls the Senate.
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