In today’s issue of The Poughkeepsie Journal a Letter to the Editor from President of the College Catharine Bond Hill appeared in the pages of the paper’s Opinion section. In her Letter Hill addressed the Dutchess County Elections—held last Tuesday, Nov. 3—and suggested that in the future Vassar and elected officials “work together to resolve the obstacles for future elections that made it difficult for students to vote in the last election.”
“I am proud of our students for all of these ways in which they reach out beyond campus,” wrote Hill. “So many of them have a very strong commitment to the local community where they live the vast majority of the year. They also by law have the right to register and vote locally.”
Read Hill’s letter in full below:
Ease Voting Process For Vassar Students
Vassar College students take part in the local community in many ways: several hundred volunteer each semester, working in human service agencies, at health-care clinics, as tutors in local schools, to note only a few examples. Through internships in the community, they contribute what they’ve learned in classes and gain additional on-the-job experience in government, business and social services. They raise money for local causes, including contributing to the college’s annual Community Works campaign, which to date has raised more than $500,000 for local nonprofits. I am proud of our students for all of these ways in which they reach out beyond campus. So many of them have a very strong commitment to the local community where they live the vast majority of the year. They also by law have the right to register and vote locally.
For that reason, I would ask election officials for the opportunity to work together to resolve the obstacles for future elections that made it difficult for students to vote in the last election. Many of our students were challenged as they went to the polls, being required to vote by paper “affidavit” ballot rather than using a voting machine. The issues cited involved students’ addresses on campus, a situation complicated by the fact that the Vassar campus is in multiple voting districts.
We need to be able to assure our students who are registered voters of their opportunity to participate in elections.
Catharine Hill
President, Vassar College
Poughkeepsie
