Thursday, October 30, 2008

Election Day Procedures at the HUB

Here is the current procedure process for voting at the HUB (reprinted from the Represent listserv):
  1. Voting will take place in rooms 129A, B, and C in the HUB. These rooms have removable barriers separating them from Alumni Hall, but for purposes of the "polling place area" and the 10 foot electioneering rule, Alumni Hall is considered as part of the polling place. On Election Day, the side walls separating each room will be in place, but the front removable wall will be removed, creating 3 alcoves along the right side of Alumni Hall for polling.
  2. Students will be asked to separate into 5 lines at the doors of Alumni Hall. Precinct 27 (Pollock Halls) is the largest precinct, and will vote in room 129C (furthest from the door), and will line up to enter the leftmost door. East Halls (Precinct 24) and South Halls (Precinct 25) will vote in room 129B, and enter the 2nd and 3rd doors. West Halls (Precinct 33) and the 4 East Dorms in Precinct 44 will vote in room 129A, and enter the 4th and 5th doors. Rope barriers will be set up in Alumni Hall to lead students to their correct check-in desk.
  3. Students will check in and proceed into the 129ABC alcove area, where between 10 and 14 "voting booths" will be set up per precinct to fill in their ballots. They will then place their ballots into the optical scan voting machines near the back of the room, and proceed out of the alcove into the hallway with the murals and the full-length glass windows. This will be a one-way hallway, directing students to their left around the outside of Alumni Hall and out onto Pollock Road.
  4. At the corner in the hallway behind Alumni Hall, there will be an area established for exit polling and election protection work inside of the building, but students will be forced to exit the HUB before they can re-enter commons areas.
  5. Polling place lines will extend from Alumni Hall, out the doors of Alumni Hall, along the wall with the bathrooms, past the Events Management Office and the Time Capsule, and back towards Heritage Hall. If the lines are incredibly long, we will ask students to line up in Heritage Hall, which would be a good place for "party at the polls" activities. These types of activities would also be allowed along the line all the way up to 10 feet from the entrance to Alumni Hall.
Please note that Hastings, Snyder, Stone, and Stuart Halls in the East Halls area of campus will vote at the HUB in the Precinct 44 section. These halls do NOT vote at the College Township Municipal Building as was listed on voter registration cards. (Yes, this sounds strange, but permission was granted from the Centre County Elections Board to inform students of this change. You can call the Centre County Elections Office at 814-355-6703 for further information.)

Welcome to the PSUVote.org Election Day Blog!

I'm Matt Popek, the president of Represent Penn State and PSUVote.org. The coalition will be updating this blog up to and throughout Election Day with status reports, videos, and information for students. Check back with us throughout Election Day to follow the action live from the HUB-Robeson Center at Penn State!

Election Day Info

From www.PSUvote.org:

When can I vote???
If you are registered to vote, you can vote from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM on Election Day, November 4, 2008.
PSUVote.org will be hosting a central voting information table on the first floor of the HUB throughout the day.

Where do I vote???
Click here for a complete list of polling places, Google Map, and directions.

What do I need to vote?
If you are a first-time voter in Centre County or a first-time voter in your precinct due to an address change, you must present identification at the polls:
Approved forms of photo identification (ID must be valid):
  • PA driver's license or ID card issued by PennDOT
  • ID issued by any other Commonwealth agency
  • ID issued by the U.S. Government
  • U.S. Passport
  • U.S. Armed Forces ID
  • Student ID
  • Employee ID
Approved forms of non-photo identification (ID must include the name and address of the elector):
  • Voter's identification card issued by the voter registration commission
  • Non-photo ID issued by the Commonwealth
  • Non-photo ID issued by the U.S. Government
  • Firearm permit
  • Current utility bill
  • Current bank statement
  • Current paycheck
  • Government check

What's is it like at the polls???
  • When going to the polls to vote, do not wear any campaign material that is exposed (hat, shirt, button, etc). You will be asked to remove it.
  • Do not discuss any political subjects inside the polling place.
  • If you are unsure of the instructions, ask one of the Election Officials for clarification.
  • When entering the polls, the Election Officials at the table will ask your name, address, and possibly your birth date. In the Primaries you will also be asked your party affiliation.
  • After determining you are eligible to vote, you will be asked to sign your name in the poll book. When doing this, check your address listing. [If it is incorrect tell the Official, who will give you a Change of Address Form. Street address is required; a P.O. Box number can be used for mailing purposes ONLY.]

How do I vote?
Centre County will be switching to optical scan voting machines for the 2008 general election. More information will be posted here when it becomes available.

Still have questions???
For questions beyond the scope of the above FAQ visit: http://co.centre.pa.us/elections/elect.asp.