Midterm elections took place Nov. 8, and Party at the Polls encouraged students to vote by providing an on-campus voting location outside of Donaghey Hall.

Bears at the Ballot hosted the event along with volunteers from other registered student organizations such as UCAF1RSTS and Green Bear Coalition.

Lesley Graybeal, director of service-learning and volunteerism, and the campus champion of UCA’s Vote Everywhere chapter, said the event makes voting more accessible.

“For those who are eligible, voting is a cornerstone of American democracy, and I love that by having our own polling site, UCA makes voting so accessible to students,” Graybeal said.

Senior Annabelle Van Asche said that on-campus voting is beneficial to students.

“It was super easy because I am a UCA student, but I’m actually from Benton County. So, registering to vote down here has been so nice because I don’t have to take five hours out of my day to go up there and vote,” Van Asche said. 

Not only are the polls accessible, but Graybeal said the event creates a friendly environment for voters.

“Our goals are to create a celebratory environment around voting, to encourage students to vote and to provide information about what to expect when voting for first-time voters who may not be familiar with the process,” Graybeal said.

Party at the Polls gave students who voted, such as Van Asche, an easy voting experience. 

“Everyone was super friendly. I’ve voted before so I didn’t have any issues, but if I would’ve had to ask questions, I know they would’ve helped me no matter what,” Van Asche said.

Freshman Alora Lowry, a volunteer through Green Bear Coalition and first-time voter, said that it is crucial for students to vote and have their voices heard.

“Voting is not just something for old people, it’s something for us too. I am newly 18, and honestly, I still think of myself as a kid but voting is still for me, and voting is still for my peers even though we are young,” Lowry said. 

Van Asche said midterm elections are especially important for young Arkansas citizens. 

“I think midterms are a bit more intimate to Arkansas voters because the way they vote directly impacts Arkansas,” Van Asche said. “More people at UCA should vote because their vote matters, especially during midterms … because we get really low voter turnout here at UCA; we are really hoping that will increase as time goes on.”

Senior Madison Yarbrough said she volunteered at Party at the Polls to encourage students to vote. 

“I like to promote it to people our age, especially because we are not the demographic that votes, but we are the demographic that is affected. It affects us more than we think, and we shouldn’t let the older generations make all of our decisions,” Yarbrough said. 

Volunteers at Party at the Polls gave out free pizza, cookies, stickers, buttons and more. Junior Shamyya Taylor said that these incentives helped bring out voters.

“I feel like it’s beneficial because this whole setup encourages you to get out and vote,” Taylor said. 

Volunteers also held up signs in front of Donaghey Hall to gain more attraction.