BILL#: SEN-7-19

TITLE: NCED – No Class on Election Day

SPONSOR(S): Paige Shimer, Senator-At-Large (pshimer@vols.utk.edu)

Kaylee Sheppard, Arts and Sciences Senator/Senate lobbyist (ksheppa7@vols.utk.edu)

Scott Malone, College of Engineering Senator (smalone9@vols.utk.edu)

DATE: 02-03-2019

Whereas, early voting is no longer available at the Howard Baker Center (2), and

Whereas, students at the University of Tennessee may be registered to vote in Knox County or in their hometowns, spanning through 91 of the 95 counties in Tennessee and 43 states as of the class of 2022 (1), and

Whereas, many students may not be able to vote early due to a lack of time or transportation to their early voting center, disproportionately impacting students registered to vote in their hometowns (3), and

Whereas, many students may not be able to vote on election day due to a lack of time to travel to their voting location, disproportionately impacting students registered to vote in their hometowns (3), and

Whereas, student voter turnout is of utmost importance to ensure that the needs of students are being met nationally, state-wide, and locally (4),

Be it hereby resolved, that Election Day be considered a university holiday each year, and

Be it hereby resolved, that a makeup day be scheduled at the beginning or end of the semester as the Provost sees fit according to the needs of the university each year.

Sources:

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Student Government Association

SEN-7-19 NCED – No Class on Election Day

BILL#: SEN-7-19