By james art MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – Hundreds of students went to the polls Friday to cast their ballots for the final day of early voting on the UW-Madison campus.
Poll worker Vanessa Ivanov said wait times were up to two hours at campus polling stations as lines wrapped inside and outside the Memorial Union.
For many students in line, the long wait time did not stop them from making their voices heard.
“I have a lot of family members who live in China, so I try not to take the opportunity to be involved in politics for granted,” said student Jason Righty.
Another student, Sam Keller, said it was the first time he was eligible to vote. Despite waiting more than an hour, he said he wanted his vote to be counted.
“I just think it’s important to vote,” Keller said. “I think it’s our civic duty. You need to make your voice heard if you want to see change in the world. You should be the person who goes out and votes; you can’t really blame someone else for the problems if you’re not here voting.”
Some experts say the student vote could have a significant impact on the election, especially in states like Wisconsin where the margin is only 20,000 to 30,000 votes.
As a student poll worker, Ivanov said she is passionate about seeing other students get out to vote.
“Students have significant power as an electoral demographic,” Ivanov said. “This is the country. This is the future they are inheriting, and for them to have a say in how that future unfolds is simply remarkable and extremely important.
Polling station officials said they expect a large turnout on Election Day. The city is also still looking for more employees to help.
Although early voting has ended at UW-Madison, some early voting locations are still open over the weekend. Hours vary by location, but can be found on the city clerk’s website.
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