If we needed more proof that the kids are alright, here it is: hundreds of college students in Greensboro, North Carolina, marched 45 minutes to an early voting site after Republicans voted to close their on-campus voting locations.
Both UNC Greensboro and North Carolina A&T State University, the nation’s largest historically Black university, had on-campus early voting sites in 2024, which drew more than 13,000 early voters combined.
But after the Republican-controlled Guilford County Board of Elections repeatedly rejected students’ efforts to restore those sites, students had to find other ways to get to the polls.
It’s harder than it might sound. First-year students at North Carolina A&T aren’t allowed to have cars on campus, so they would have to pay for an Uber or rely on someone else for a ride. And with high gas prices and most Americans struggling with affordability, barriers are higher than ever.
But that didn’t stop these students. Together, student leaders from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, North Carolina A&T State University, and Bennett College organized a march to rally young people to vote early.
Together, they walked 45 minutes in 85-degree heat, including on roads with no sidewalks. When they arrived, many students had to wait hours to vote. But they waited as long as it took.
One student emphasized the importance of the march by saying, “This is my first time voting, so I want to make sure that my voice is getting heard.”
The movement was so successful that A&T students hosted another march a week later, partnering with When We All Vote, as hundreds more students marched to the polls for the second time since early voting began.
We’re only eight days away from the midterm elections. Let’s follow these college students’ example and get out to vote for commonsense candidates up and down the ballot – no excuses.