As the 2018 midterm elections occur nationwide, voters headed to polling stations on Michigan State's campus Tuesday morning to cast their ballots.
“[The polls] have been busier than I would’ve been expected for a midterm,” said Pat Enos, a poll worker at the MSU Union. “We’ve been steady and we had a crowd that was here before seven.”
Enos said the most important thing to her is seeing a whole lot of people participate in voting. She said it appeared that all of the voters were students.
Mechanical engineering freshman Hammer Shalawylo is one such student.
“It’s my duty as a citizen to contribute to who’s elected in office and makes the decisions for my country,” Shalawylo said.
Shalawylo said, for the most part, he knew who he was voting for prior to attending the polls. As a new student, he was unfamiliar with some of the district nominees.
Tuesday is the first time some freshmen can vote in a major election, so exploratory preference freshman Kennedy Krantz had her first-ever voting experience at the MSU Union.
“I wanted to do my civic duty,” Krantz said. “I think it’d be cool if my governor candidate made it and if the three [proposals] also went in my favor."
Music education freshman Amelia Mills voted in the Aug. 7 primary election. She said she felt very confident about her midterm election ballot.
“I’m really excited about all the proposals, especially the gerrymandering one,” Mills said. “I know that’s been a big issue historically and I hope that we can have more honest district lines, at least.”
There are three proposals on the ballot this year. They call into question legalization of recreational marijuana, legality of gerrymandering and easing voter access to the polls.
“You have the right to vote, so why wouldn’t you just vote?” said Kelsee Horrom, a neuroscience senior. “It was mostly about the proposals for me.”
Michigan voters also head to the polls to decide on Michigan's gubernatorial race, attorney general, other ballot initiatives and over 140 seats in the Michigan Senate and House of Representatives.
“There’s so much political turmoil going on right it’s really important that we all get out there and express our opinions,” Mills said. “We all need to have our voices heard now more than ever, especially with all the stuff that’s going on in politics. If we want to make a change, we have to get out there and vote.”
Polls are open until 8 p.m. Tuesday. There are 17 precincts in East Lansing, so voters can check what precinct they fall under using the map below.
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