By SETH HAMMES
Tiger Media Network
The right to vote is protected by the U.S. Constitution and can be utilized by anyone who wants to be more involved in their country and community. At Fort Hays State University, the issue of on-campus voting was a popular topic in the past.
The absence of a polling location on campus has raised questions from students. Whether or not voting booths will be at FHSU has been one of the key points ahead of Tuesday’s general election in Ellis County. The elected position of county clerk — between incumbent Bobbi Dreiling and challenger Laura Allen — is on the ballot.
Allen was a write-in candidate in 2020 and is officially on the ballot for the 2024 election. Dreiling earned 11,593 votes in the 2020 general election, while there were only 756 write-in votes. At that time, there were 18,881 registered voters in the county, with 13,919 ballots cast (73.7% voter turnout).
Allen said she is passionate about encouraging youth civic involvement and understands the importance of fostering an early interest in voting among young people.
She emphasized the importance of the office of the county clerk serving the people of Ellis County rather than focusing on an individual demographic.
“I think that the majority of students know how important it is to vote,” Allen said. “I think that life is busy, and it’s always tough to make time. But I think that starting young and voting as soon as you’re able to vote puts you in a position to make it a priority. And I think that it’s a habit, a habit that we all need to get into. And as anyone knows, creating a habit takes time. So starting young, it’s the best way to do that for taking the time.”
For Dreiling, the role of the county clerk extends beyond determining polling locations. In a written statement to Tiger Media Network, she provided a full list of her duties as county clerk, which range from maintaining budgets and financial reports to overseeing tax information.
“As you can see … the County Clerk’s duties are quite extensive,” Dreiling said.
In 2023, Dreiling consolidated two polling locations. The closest location to FHSU, the Cottonwood Extension District Office location at 601 Main, was closed due to low voter turnout. The location at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church at 2900 Canal Blvd. was closed for not being ADA compliant. Voters from both 601 Main and 2900 Canal now vote at Messiah Luthern Church at 2000 Main.
“Being a good steward of the county’s money, I found it economically feasible to combine a lower performing poll site with the one I closed down,” Dreiling said in a March 2024 Hays Post Letter to the Editor.
Allen said she is in favor of putting a polling location on campus and believes it might be beneficial for many reasons, including increasing student engagement and community retention. During the 2024 Election Forum at Hays Public Library, Allen discussed how a booth on campus would accomplish these initiatives.
For Allen, giving students input on where they vote could encourage more of the approximately 1,600 students — according to her estimates — to register in Ellis County, a requirement for voters who might already be registered in another county or state. Otherwise, they are not eligible to vote in the county.
Allen also said during the forum that as a resident of the precinct where the polling place is located, she and her neighbors would prefer voting on campus rather than at Messiah Lutheran Church.
“I don’t remember any of us being talked to about what we prefer,” Allen said. “So when we’re talking about worrying about the residents of Ellis County, the majority of them, you know, most of us, would not necessarily prefer to go to the (Messiah) Lutheran Church.”
Allen emphasized the importance of considering what voters prefer and believes more dialogue is needed to ensure people are heard in the decision-making process. She said for voters who prefer to vote on Election Day rather than through early voting measures, a polling location on campus would facilitate same-day voters.
In the statement to TMN, Dreiling said not having a polling location on campus shouldn’t affect students’ ability to vote conveniently.
“I currently work with a few students with the American Democracy Project by contacting them about election information that includes early voting dates and times at the Administrative Center so they can provide this information to the students,” Dreiling said about the Ellis County Administrative Center, located at 718 Main. “Since the Administration Center is a short distance from campus, this is beneficial to the students. I also offer early voting the Saturday before Election Day which further helps the students if they cannot make it during the week.”
The county’s Administrative Center is located approximately a block away from the polling location that was closed at 601 Main.
Both candidates said in the future, the possibility of a polling location on the FHSU campus could become a reality.
“This year, there will not be voting on campus. In the future, I would love to see that happen, and I’m sure that there are other logistics to it, but I can’t imagine that a polling place on campus is any different or more difficult to work with than a different polling location,” Allen said. “I don’t think that means that if we were to open a polling place on campus, that we would have to close the other ones. I don’t think it’s one or the other. I think the more options we have available, and the more opportunities we give people to vote, the better off we all are.”
Dreiling said she will continue to monitor feedback from voters and see where that will lead in the future.
“I have always said with everything I do, whether it’s as the county clerk or my everyday life, ‘Never say never,’ ” Dreiling said in her statement.