On Oct. 16, The Daily Iowan published an article in which UI President Barbara Wilson was interviewed about a range of hot-button topics occupying the minds of students this fall. Among these pressing questions and subpar answers, Wilson was asked if the University of Iowa would follow Ohio State’s lead in shifting all Election Day classes to an asynchronous format — a move that encourages students to exercise their right to vote without university obstruction.

After an immediate pivot to free cinnamon rolls and reflecting on the civic engagement work facilitated by students, Wilson finally answered the question:

“I don’t think we need to do asynchronous classes because we’re going to have voting places right on campus, and Catlett is one of them. So, I don’t think anybody could say, ‘I need the whole day off so I can go over to Catlett and vote.’ It’s a nice idea, but we’ve got to keep our classes going.”

Despite the patronizing connotation, changes to Election Day schedules to promote voter turnout are far beyond a “nice idea.” In fact, a 2024 Pew Research Center survey concluded that 72 percent of Americans across party lines are in favor of accessibility changes, such as making Election Day a federal holiday so that students and workers have ample opportunity to vote. In 2020, Forbes reported that nearly half of all college students did not vote in 2016 due to timing and class conflicts on Election Day.

In the interview, President Wilson acknowledged that our age group historically has the lowest voter turnout rates and felt that this should not be the case (we agree). However, this leaves one very important question. If you, President Wilson, understand the gravity of your students’ votes, why are you not exercising your power to support us in casting those votes?

Failing to meet the needs of students on an issue as salient as Election Day voting is neglectful of the leadership role you possess. We believe increasing voter accessibility is critical to developing a campus culture of civic engagement, as well as providing students with the opportunity to practice the vital life-long skill of voting. As such, the following sections will provide suggestions for how President Wilson, faculty, the student body, and all student leaders can engage with accessible voting strategies this Nov. 5.

To President Wilson

As the leader of our institution, we believe you have a responsibility to show your care for campus civic engagement without relying on student-led efforts. As it stands, your actions demonstrate that ensuring students’ ability to vote on Election Day is not your priority. In your touting of our student body’s diversity, you seem to forget which diverse students need increased accessibility and who cannot rely on certain privileges to vote early. These students include but are not limited to parents, full-time workers, volunteers in the community, and leaders who juggle multiple roles daily.

On top of regularly attending class and completing assignments, your student body is stretched thin for time. We believe that by making classes asynchronous, you will provide ample opportunity to increase voter turnout on campus and to communicate your care for diverse students.

We call on UI President Barbara Wilson to lead by example and mandate all professors, staff, and instructors conduct their classes asynchronously on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

To All Professors/Instructors/Faculty/Administrative Members

In the event that President Wilson maintains her stance on in-person class formats for Election Day, we turn our attention to UI professors, instructors, faculty, and administrative members. We believe that you too should be maximizing the privileges of your position to advocate for students’ voter accessibility and civic engagement. The following are strategies you can individually employ to meet these responsibilities:

• Voluntarily move all classes to an asynchronous format for Tuesday, Nov. 5.
• Take your classes to a polling location to cast their ballots during the regularly scheduled class time.
• Provide excused absences/do not penalize students who miss class to vote and who can provide proof of voting (e.g. a picture at the polling location, an “I voted” sticker, etc.).

While some professors in relevant fields, such as political science, already participate in similar efforts, we want to stress the importance of cross-discipline civic engagement. All students, from the College of Education to the College of Engineering, deserve the opportunity to vote on Election Day. Additionally, we want to highlight the fact that in a post-pandemic era, classroom flexibility is a skill we all have gained and can be revived in this critical time. This is not a freebie day. This is an opportunity to engage with your students in ways that will leave long-lasting impacts on their futures.

To Students  

We understand the weight each of us feels with this election. For many of us, this is the first time we are voting for the President or any local official. For others, the outcome of Nov. 5 will dictate how we enter the postgraduate world. Whether you plan to start a family, continue your

education, launch a career, take a gap year, travel the world, or any number of possible paths, this election will influence your future—you deserve to have a say in how it looks. Here’s what you can do:

• Talk with your professors/instructors and peers about moving classes online for Election Day.
• Encourage your professors/instructors to engage with Election Day voter accessibility strategies that work well for your class(es) – be creative!
• If necessary and able, sacrifice the attendance points to ensure your ballot is cast.
• Make a plan to vote!

Across all identities, we understand how pivotal each of our ballots will be in the next four years of our lives. This is an opportunity to simultaneously remain accountable in our academics and our duty to civic engagement.

We also want to emphasize the importance of informed voting. Some of us may be new to the practice of voting, including knowing when to vote, where to vote, and who to vote for. Who you vote for is entirely your decision, and we want to make sure that decision is made with all the information necessary to feel confident in your choice. Resources that can help guide you are:

• Hawk The Vote (non-partisan)
• Ballotpedia or the County Auditor’s website for sample ballots
• Ballotpedia for candidate bios and ballot measure explanations (non-partisan)
• Researching the campaign policies of each candidate or position you consider voting for (often found on a candidate’s campaign website, social media platform(s), or in local news outlets)
• The Cross-Cultural Student Coalition’s voter guide ballot breakdown (note: CCSC’s ballot breakdown will be partisan, and we encourage all viewers to conduct their own research on the candidates and measures)

Gen Z is the most impactful voting bloc in 2024. Your voice is your power. Use it.

To Other Student Organizations and Student Leaders

We acknowledge and appreciate the multiple student-led civic engagement efforts on campus, such as Hawk the Vote, Ignite, and other politically affiliated organizations. The work of these student leaders in registering students to vote and keeping us politically informed has been outstanding this fall.

However, we also acknowledge that no system of communication is perfect, and that vital information may not be getting across to everyone in the same way. We also acknowledge that political discussions are not limited to politically affiliated student organizations.

With that said, we call on ALL our student leaders, regardless of what organization you are in, to collectively use your roles, voices, connections, and influence to advocate for accessible student voting on Nov. 5. This can take the form of supporting any strategies previously listed or creating your own!

And for those who take up the majority of political space on campus, we expect mutually enthusiastic encouragement to show up and show out for your peers when it most counts (USG/GPSG and YAF, we’re looking at you).