Fellows for Hofstra Center for Civic Engagement tabling for voter registration during early voting. From left to right: Aliza Kazmi, Hamna Haque and Laika Jerome. // Photo Courtesy of Julia Capitelli
This year, Hofstra University was used as a polling place for early voting in the 2024 presidential election. The site was open for early voting from Oct. 26 to Oct. 3 for registered voters. Hofstra’s Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) and the Hofstra Votes campaign worked alongside the Board of Elections to establish the university as a new polling place.
Voters, including students, registered in Nassau County had the nine day period as an opportunity to vote early at Hofstra. Early voting took place in the David and Sondra S. Mack Student Center. The CCE had a table set up in the student center atrium to help people register to vote.
College students tend to have busy schedules that may make it difficult for them to vote. Rosanna Perotti, a political science professor and CCE Advisory Board member, said that holding early voting on campus helps solve that dilemma.
“We could cancel classes on Tuesday, but not every student is available to do that on one day; it’s the nature of the demands that are on students’ time,” Perotti said. “It’s the perfect opportunity; it’s the perfect situation for students that they have a long period of time, and they can schedule it and make a plan.”
Hofstra also provided the greater community with a convenient option for a place to vote ahead of Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Undergraduate fellows for the CCE, as well as other students, volunteered for tabling to help students and community members register to vote. Aliza Kazmi, a junior CCE fellow and double major in psychology and English, spoke about the usefulness of Hofstra as a polling place.
“I think it’s really convenient for people who live in Nassau County because it’s a central location that people can get to easily,” Kazmi said. “It’s especially convenient for students because we’re already here every day, so it kind of takes out the hassle of having to go elsewhere to vote because you’re already here, so there’s no excuse not to vote.”
The voting habits of young people and first-time voters was a strong theme leading up to the 2024 election. With Hofstra as an early voting place, students had an accessible voting location. Hamna Haque, a CCE fellow and senior political science major, said that young people need to see their interests represented.
“I think it’s important for young people to vote just so we can get our voices out there so we can be heard and have it known that we’re part of the electorate just like every other age group,” Haque said.
Laika Jerome, also a CCE fellow and a senior double majoring in political science and global studies, spoke about young people’s voting habits in relation to those of other age groups.
“I do think it’s important for young people to vote because we’re the least likely demographic to actually vote,” Jerome said. “If we do vote more, then our policies will be more representative of us, and not only the people who typically vote.”
Hofstra has been used as a polling place in the past, and Perotti said she would like the university to provide this opportunity again.
“I’m hoping that the Board of Elections will see fit to choose us again in the next couple of election cycles,” Perotti said. “I personally, and I think the institution, would love to see this continue. I think it’s been meaningful for the students who volunteered to help to assist voters.”
