Students and candidates are hopeful this year's elections will draw more student voters than usual, following the county's Board of Elections decision last month to bring the precinct's polling place onto the campus.
At the request of state Sen. John Giannetti (D-Prince George's and Anne Arundel), the Prince George's County Board of Elections agreed unanimously last month to relocate the Precinct 21-02 polling place from the College Park Community Center to Ritchie Coliseum. The switch will impact many students living off the campus - including those who live in fraternities and sororities - who reside within that precinct.
Giannetti said the community center was one of the two most poorly attended polling places in the county. The first was the Stamp Student Union, which was under construction at the time of the last election.
He said he hopes moving the polling place from the community center on Pierce Avenue will help bolster student voting.
"You always look toward underperforming polling places and how to make it better. There is no doubt in my mind why it was underperforming - no one knows where it is," Giannetti said.
Student Government Association President Emma Simson, who supports the move, said the easy access and familiarity of the venue to students will contribute to the increase.
"This is going to help student turnout tremendously," she said.
Giannetti's push for the movement could be politically motivated because he has generally received student support and an increase in their turnout could benefit his bid for re-election in the Sept. 12 primary.
The primary will be the first time voters will use the new location.
Giannetti's senatorial opponent, former Board of Regents member Jim Rosapepe, said he supports the movement of the site so long as it was made for legitimate reasons.
"It would be great if we could get big student turnout," Rosapepe said. "It will be good for longtime residents as well. I hope his decision is what's good for the public and not for the politician."
County Interim Elections Administrator Robert Antonetti said Giannetti's request was unanimously supported by the board and said Giannetti was "responding to his constituents."
Giannetti, however, said he didn't receive requests from residents to change the polling place.
He said Ritchie Coliseum was ideal, as it has ample parking and was available on the day of the primary election. Additionally, Antonetti said using Ritchie Coliseum will yield no additional cost, though the county does have the burden of informing voters of the change.
"[Switching the polling place] is potentially a problem because it takes people a while to realize its moved," said Mark Lopez, research director at the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement.
Lopez said he expects to see a decrease in voter turnout for at least two years after the change but in a decade there will be no significant impact on turnout.
Contact reporters Steven Overly and Owen Praskievicz at overlydbk@gmail.com.
Be the first to comment on this article!
Log in to be able to post comments.