Polling location moved to William Pitt Union

Students will have a new place to vote come November, as the polling location in Posvar Hall has…Students will have a new place to vote come November, as the polling location in Posvar Hall has moved to the William Pitt Union.

Robert Beecher, the Student Government Board Governmental Relations Committee chairman, said that several background issues motivated the Board to pursue a change in the polling location. The previous polling location for students residing in the eighth district of the fourth ward — which includes the Litchfield Towers and the Schenley Quadrangle — was Posvar Hall, under the official polling location titles of the Forbes Quad Lobby and the Forbes Quad Study Area.

To pursue an official change in location from the Allegheny County Division of Elections, Beecher said SGB had to prove a need and express a reason for the change and University officials had to agree with the change.

SGB sent a letter in mid-April with statistics and an allegorical history that included information on past conflicts — including the 2010 voting disputes, which involved lawyers and concerned student confusion with the separate Posvar voting locations — once the University officials expressed interest in moving the polling location.

The county response included a site visit by the county Board of Elections, and SGB and the University waited for confirmation to move forward with the change.

The Division of Elections informed Kenyon Bonner, director of Student Life and associate dean of students, of the official polling location change on Sept. 28, and Bonner informed the SGB members.

Board member Julie Hallinan said that while the final decision was made by the Division of Elections, campus collaboration included various administrators and members of the Board.

“The process involved so many people, so there was a lot of making sure everyone was aware and on the same page before the final decision could be made and approved,” Hallinan said.

Board member Halim Genus, who was also involved in the planning to change the polling location, did not respond to a request for comment.

Hallinan said that while students will receive an official announcement of the location change from the Division of Elections, SGB will continue to spread the information around campus, and that they believe the Union will provide an ideal location for student voting.

“The Union has a nice in-and-out flow to it, and you don’t have to exit every room the same way you enter, so it clears up a lot of the traffic,” she said. “Because it’s not an academic building, the Union won’t have class traffic, which will hopefully make the process less confusing, and there will be fewer stories of students getting confused or getting in the wrong lines.”

Beecher expressed his optimism about the change.

“While this election period is more of a trial run, and it will always be at the county’s discretion for where polling in the future will be held, we are anticipating success,” Beecher said. “We are anticipating an increase in awareness of voting on campus, an increase in student voting, less disruption to student schedules and a stronger opportunity for student involvement in the civic process.”

During the election day, other operations in the Union will run as normal, and Hallinan believes that the WPU location will represent student voting solidarity.

“The Union is also a central location on campus, and I really feel that it will be symbolic of Pitt’s efforts,” Hallinan said. “It is the student union, and students will make their voices heard.”