U of A will not offer an on-campus voting site on Election Day

Members of the Arizona Students Association, joined by Tucson state Sen. Priya Sundareshan, spoke out Monday against the decision. They said having a polling station on campus for early voting, but not on the day of the general election, will be confusing. 

"A change in location from early voting to Election Day voting is confusing and it will likely lead to some confusion among students," said Sundareshan, a Democrat who is the ranking member of the state Senate Elections Committee. "I also do think in an age when voting is so important and ensuring that everybody has access to voting, that this could be a missed opportunity."

During early voting, which begins Oct. 9, students registered to vote in Arizona can vote in the UA's Student Union in the Santa Cruz room. But on Nov. 5, students who want to vote will need to walk to the First United Methodist Church instead.

The church is on East Fourth Street, next to campus, and is about a 10-minute walk from the Student Union, according to a Google Maps estimate. 

The Arizona Students Association, which represents students at all three public universities in the state, is calling for an Election Day voting center on campus.

However, the Associated Students of the University of Arizona, which is the elected student government on the UA campus, is backing the university's decision, which it was involved in.

Adriana Grijalva, the ASUA student body president, said the church is "only a five-minute walk" from campus, adding that it was chosen because of its accessibility, especially its available parking options.

"I feel like we have done our very best," she said. "We looked at multiple locations, we looked at the (student) union and it wasn't accessible for many. I really feel like we made a great decision."

She added that in her conversations with students, she's "made sure to hear their concerns."

"We haven't heard any negative aspect on that, just positive," she said.

That directly contradicts statements made by ASA representatives.

Miranda Lopez received her undergraduate degree from the UA in 2018 and is now in the third semester of her graduate program there. She is the ASA's Southern Arizona regional organizing director. She said she's heard from many students who have expressed confusion and apprehension about the UA's decision.

"I have spoken to many students who have expressed a lot of confusion about the changing locations," Lopez said. "Adding more potential barriers (to voting) is a surefire way of keeping students from voting."

While Lopez and the ASA say Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University have on-campus voting on the day of the election, ASUA President Grijalva said she didn't think it was odd that the UA won't.

Mitch Zak, a UA spokesperson, said that “the University of Arizona and the Associated Students of the University of Arizona worked closely with Pima County to ensure students can easily register to vote and to cast their ballots."

He continued: "Aligned with many county election sites, the Student Union will host early and emergency voting. For election day, we are pleased to partner with First United Methodist Church adjacent to campus.”