Election Day- Poll Coverage
By Sylvia Lorson
First voter at the Beverly J. Warren Student Recreation and Wellness Center
Sarah Richardson was the first person to vote at the Beverly J. Warren Student Recreation and Wellness Center today. She arrived right at 6:30 a.m. ready to cast her vote before the sun had even risen in the sky.
This was a very important election for Richardson, and it’s her first time voting in a presidential election.
“I’m 19 so it’s the first presidential election that I could vote for. … It just seems like a big election so I thought I’d use my duties as a citizen and come out and vote,” Richardson said.
Richardson talked about why she thinks it is important for people to get out and vote.
“I think that every vote counts,” she said. “I don’t think people realize that if they sit at home versus if they go to vote it makes a big difference. We have to use our voices to shape what the outcome of our country is.”
She proudly put the Ohio “I heart voting” sticker on her coat and posed for a photo.
Richardson was the first of many young voters that turned out at the Rec to vote this morning, as well as people on their way to work early this morning. The line started out short and fast-moving with plenty of open voting booths.
First time working the polls
Today was Eric Asp’s first time working at the polls. He was eager to help anyone that needed it by giving directions and answering questions.
What inspired Asp to go out and volunteer this year was, what he called, an act of anti-racism.
“I’ve been learning a lot this year about racism and in particular how to be anti-racist,” Asp said.
He said that earlier this year, he did a lot of reading on anti-racism. One book in particular that he mentioned was “The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism” by Jemar Tisby.
“One of the takeaways from that was just how important it is to preserve the right for people of color to have their voice heard,” Asp said. “And one of his practical suggestions was to join the precinct election official process to be able to help protect people’s right to vote.”
Asp said that it is important for people to get out and vote because the U.S. is a democracy.
“The idea is ‘the people rule,’” Asp said. “So the people can’t rule unless they come and explain what it is that they are trying to see happen to the government and elect officials that will represent them well.”
In addition to being a poll worker, Asp is also a pastor. He said that this adds an extra element to why he thinks it is important to use your right to vote.
“I think citizenship is an important right that we don’t often appreciate,” he said. “I think not everybody gets this right, so I think it’s important for people to exercise that right. … I think that citizenship is a part of loving God with all of our soul, mind and strength.”
