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By Victoria Durgin, Editor in Chief
If you are registered to vote in Snyder County you have two possible locations to do so in Selinsgrove on Election Day. Below is some of the key information you need to cast your ballot safely and correctly when voting in-person.
Locations
There are two polling places in Selinsgrove that will be open for voters, and you must vote in the polling place that matches your Susquehanna address. Students will vote at either Sharon Lutheran Church at 120 S Market St. or at All Saints Episcopal Church at 129 N Market St. Polls will open at 7 a.m. and remain open until 8 p.m.
If you are unsure of where to vote, university staff and faculty will be available on campus and in Selinsgrove on Election Day to direct students and ensure they cast their ballot correctly and safely.
If you mistakenly go to the wrong polling place for your address, don’t worry, according to Susquehanna professor and Selinsgrove Borough Council Member Erik Viker.
“If a student inadvertently goes to the wrong polling place, the other one is just a few short blocks away,” said Viker. You will be told by the poll workers to place your ballot at the other location.
What You Need to Know
If you have voted in-person before, expect some changes this year due to COVID-19 guidelines. Most poll locations will likely have social distancing measures in place. According to this voting guide from the Pennsylvania Capital-Star, that might lead to longer lines at the polls. Consider arriving earlier than you expect to need to so you give yourself enough time to vote in between any classes or meetings you have on Tuesday.
Voting equipment in Snyder County might be different than what you have used previously. The Snyder County website offers information and how-to videos about their machines here.
Safety
On Oct. 28 Vice President for Student Life Susan Lantz announced the university has increased security measures for the week of the election. Along with features such as improved lighting and cameras on University Avenue, public safety officers will increase their patrols on Tuesday and throughout the week to follow. Additionally, Susquehanna is providing transportation to and from polling locations for students who don’t want to walk alone to vote.
Viker said these measures are precautionary but that he doesn’t see Election Day being unsafe for anyone voting in Selinsgrove.
“By having safety plans, the university is acting out of an abundance of caution. I think of it as a gesture of respect and support for our students engaging in their civic responsibility. Here in Selinsgrove we have a long tradition of uneventful voting and I expect this will again win out over any current hostility some local individuals might feel about the state of the nation and the election,” Viker said.
Other Resources
Susquehanna’s website offers information about voting in addition to a schedule of post-election events. You can view that site here.
The Snyder County Voter Registration site, also linked above, is available here.
Students who feel anxiety surrounding the election are encourage to reach out to the Counseling Center. The center has extended their virtual drop-in hours; students can sign up for virtual appointments between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Nov. 4, 5 and 6. To schedule an appointment call 570-372-4751.
The Center for Diversity and Inclusion has also added support for students. Dena Salerno and Amy Davis will both be available for individual meetings, and the Diversity Empowerment Nest (Den) and the CDI, both in the lower level of the Degenstein Campus Center, will be open for students who wish to utilize the spaces.