Things are up in the air for campus life come fall. In reality, we don’t know what any campus activity is going to look like. Our very voting rights, like every other thing, are a looming question. The Blue Ridge Ballroom, the ideal voting site, which has been used for several election cycles now, is not receiving the support we need from campus officials. The location is perfect, accessible, and central for community members, a walk upstairs for students, and large enough to encourage social distancing to keep voters safe. The Blue Ridge Ballroom is not a want for civically engaged students, it is a must. We cannot afford to move a vital site, one that many will show up to, come November, regardless, because of precedent. Mountaineers have always had to fight for our voting rights and even in times of great struggles, like a pandemic, it is clear that some things never change. We have created a petition to keep and protect the Blue Ridge Ballroom, I hope that you will consider signing it so no matter what, we have a constant in a world full of questions.

Dalton George and Emily Hogan

Dalton George is the Director of Canvassing Operations for the Watauga County Democratic Party and a senior economics major. Emily Hogan is the Field Director for the Watauga County Democratic Party and a junior political science major.