Primary elections bumped

Students may miss an opportunity to vote this summer.

The primary elections were pushed forward from the middle of September to Aug. 24 and students not living in Vermont this summer will have to get absentee ballots, State Representative Kesha Ram said.

The election was moved to meet with a federal law that requires ballots to be on their way to soldiers 45 days before the November election, an article in the Burlington Free Press stated.

With the primaries set in mid-September officials would not be able to get the results, put the right names on the ballots, and send them overseas in time to meet the 45-day deadline according to the Burlington Free Press.

As a result of the change, some say that they are concerned students will not remember to vote in the elections.

"Whether or not they vote absentee, it is vital they know the primary will take place before school starts, because the reminder to vote usually comes from Student Life, the SGA, and political groups on campus," Ram said.  "Students will not receive an advance reminder like they would if the primary remained in mid-September."

People between the ages of 18-25 make up more than half of the registered voters in Districts 3-4 of Burlington, she said.

Some students living out of state say that having to register as an absentee voter and fill out an absentee ballot would  be too much work and discourage them from voting.

"I wouldn't go out of my way to get an absentee ballot," sophomore Katie Hughes said.  "It's not one of my top priorities."

Other students say that despite inconveniences, having the primary moved forward is not going to influence whether or not they vote.

"Voting is important to me and filling out the absentee ballot isn't difficult so I am going to vote either way," sophomore Megan Long said.

Voting is important because it gives students a chance to have their opinions heard, Ram said.

"The more young people and students that participate in the primary, the greater their voices will be heard in the general election and the political process overall," she said. "My hope is that UVM students harness their power through political engagement and ensure the candidates in the general election are listening to them."