WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — UPDATE: Early voting center to be added on Purdue's campus.
On Sept. 18 Purdue University and the Tippecanoe County Board of Elections issued a joint statement:
"The Tippecanoe County Board of Elections and Purdue University have proposed a viable on-campus location — the Córdova Recreational Sports Center — as an early voting center on Oct. 24 to provide further access, in addition to the previously announced locations in walking proximity of the West Lafayette campus. The Election Board will meet as scheduled in public session at 10 a.m. Sept. 27 to formally vote on the proposal. The meeting will be held in the Tippecanoe Room of the Tippecanoe County Office Building."
It's National Voter Registration Day, but there are questions about where students will be able to cast their ballots at Purdue.
There are no polling places on campus.
That's sparked controversy for the past week, and now, there's a new push for a fix from the university.
As of right now, Tippecanoe County will have nine early voting sites starting in October and 15 vote centers on Election Day in November, but none on the Purdue University campus itself.
With tens of thousands of students and staff, that lack of access to a convenient polling place at Purdue doesn't sit well with voting advocates.
It would be the first time in years with nowhere to cast a ballot on campus, and it would set Purdue apart from other colleges in the state, like Indiana University and Butler University.
Students who have registered to vote in Tippecanoe County would have to travel farther to cast a ballot.
"We're just asking to have a way for students and people who work here on campus to vote easily," said Lisa Dullum, with the Lafayette League of Women Voters and Greater Lafayette Indivisible. "We've had it at the Union. We have had it at Krach (Leadership Center). We've had it at Mackey (Arena). We've had early voting and Election Day voting here, and now, we have neither."
She said turnout is always large on campus.
At Mackey Arena, even in 2020, lines of registered voters went out the door.
But for the past week, the Tippecanoe County Election Board and Purdue made a change, saying there would be no vote centers on campus in 2024 because, in the board's words, "no location meets statutory requirements."
Mike Smith, with the county election board, declined an interview and wouldn't elaborate on which requirements weren't being met.
"I don't know what's changed that we no longer have a voting site. We had voting here in the primary! In the May primary! So there should be voting in the general election as well," Dullum said. "You know, Purdue University is a public university. They're promoting civics. And people here should be able to vote. We should be moving in the other direction and making it easier and easier for people to vote."
The campus controversy, especially in such a high-profile election, has led to a petition with hundreds of signatures in less than a day.
Plus, the state Democratic party sent out a statement saying, in part, "Tippecanoe County is taking away the on-campus polling site by vaguely claiming that Purdue facilities don’t meet statutory requirements. University administrators don’t seem to be pushing back. All this decision does is suppress the ability for Boilermaker students to cast a ballot in this year’s election, and it’s just plain wrong.
"The county and university should rethink this decision and agree to open an on-campus polling site for Purdue students, as it’s done several times before.”
There is work toward a fix.
Late Tuesday afternoon, Purdue proposed two potential vote center locations: the Armory or the Recreational Sports Center.
A Purdue spokesperson sent out the following statement:
"Purdue fully supports the selection of voting sites that serve the best interests of the full Tippecanoe County community, as determined by the Board of Elections & Registration. The Board has already provided great options for the community in its announced vote centers. Purdue is working with the Board to further supplement this list of choices by making various Purdue sites, including the Armory and Recreational Sports Center, available for further consideration by the Board. Full details are expected be available in the coming days."
The County Election Board has to approve the location or locations. If they don't, Boilermakers admit voting will be tougher.
"A lot of people definitely don't have cars, so it definitely becomes more difficult," Purdue junior Ashley Sak said.
"So if you don't have voting centers, I feel like we're not represented," junior Aidan Dwyer said.
A final decision is expected in the coming days.
"Voting is the most basic right we have in a democracy. It's a way to make your voice heard." Dullum said. "I hope Purdue and the election board do the right thing and add early voting sites and centers on Election Day at Purdue."