There are many Americans who do not exercise their right to vote, and UNC students are no exception.
Faculty, however, can do something to change that by working to implement a policy that would make class attendance more flexible on election days.
Appalachian State University’s faculty senate recently passed a resolution of a similar nature and UNC should take notice.
Voting is of the utmost importance to the democratic process. Unfortunately, there are times when college students cannot go to vote because life gets in the way.
Students are hindered by the fact that many do not own cars or have little time to wait in line to vote with the daily obligations of class, activities and jobs.
Yet recently UNC students have been facing the possibility of losing their on-campus voting site not to mention that the N.C. voter ID law prohibits the use of college IDs as proper identification.
If UNC faculty were to be more flexible with attendance, it would send a strong message to students that their vote matters in a time when many in N.C. are indicating otherwise.
Yes, there will most likely be students who abuse the more relaxed rules surrounding attendance on election days. This is obviously unfortunate, but it should not be enough of a deterrent for a minority to prevent their peers who want to vote from having the opportunity.
The right to vote is one of the most important rights that Americans possess, and UNC should do everything in its power to ensure that as many students as possible are given the opportunity to exercise that right.
