Rec the Vote
Young voters cast the ballots, voices at student rec center
By Ben Flanagan
The Pulse
Lines stretched up to fifty feet in the awkward setup voters had to wade their way through at the Student Recreation Center on the University of Alabama campus. Booths, tables and people covered the floors of the lobby all morning and night as Tuscaloosa residents, most of them university students, arrived to cast their ballots in the 2008 presidential election, one that is sure to help rewrite the history books, no matter the outcome. Crowds grew consistently as the day carried on but never too high for the precinct officials to leave their chairs and take action. Rec Center patrons carried on their squat-thrusts and ab-crunches only a few feet away as Tuscaloosa's registered voters did their part to maintain and celebrate democracy.
Mary Scott Speigner, a UA student majoring in broadcast communication, arrived at the Rec Center around 10:45 a.m. just a few minutes before her next class at the same location. Speigner thought she would avoid the morning rush and beat the lunch break crowd as she stood in line for a brisk five minutes before receiving her ballot. For her, Tuesday's election had a particularly poignant meaning in terms of the direction the country will take shortly afterward even if her state has traditionally leaned towards one party.
"This is the most important election of my lifetime," Speigner said. "It means a serious change or a continuation of the last eight years. Even though Alabama is almost guaranteed to go for [John] McCain, I have hope that enough first time voters will come out to support [Barack] Obama in other states."
Speigner said she voted for Obama because of his understanding of the nation's demand for governmental change after two terms with current president George W. Bush.
"[Obama] represents all of the ideals and values that I hold," she said. "He represents a new generation of politics and has the best plan for the economic crisis. I think that his impressive campaign and ability to mobilize millions of people is a sign of what his presidency will be like."
Justin Wood, on the other hand, opted for McCain though not because he fully supports the Arizona senator and the elements of his political platform.
"I would not call myself a McCain fan," Wood, a UA senior majoring in telecommunication and film, said. "He was the lesser of two bad candidates for me. I am not a fan of Senator Obama's economic plan nor do I believe that he has the experience to run our country."
This election marks the second where Wood has been a registered voter. He turned eighteen just before the 2004 election when incumbent George W. Bush defeated Massachusetts senator John Kerry. Wood said he thinks voting is one of the greatest things this country has to offer its young people and that he does not understand why past elections have shown a low turnout for college students.
"Students should feel good because, regardless of the outcome, they've participated in the democratic process and that is something to feel good about." he said.
Although she does not share Wood's political ideals, Speigner agreed with his sentiments regarding the importance of student voting.
"Students should be proud that they have the opportunity to voice their opinions and choose the candidate of their choice," she said. "People die for our right to vote. It is the most precious gift that we have as Americans."
Melissa Kish, coordinator of informal recreation at the Rec Center, said the voter turnout was the greatest there had ever been at that particular location, the numbers reaching over 2,500 voters throughout the day. Kish said that it was important for young people to vote in general elections because of the toll the results will almost certainly have on their and their families' lives in years to come.
"The younger you can instill in people that voting is a responsibility and that it matters, the better the likelihood that they'll be active participants throughout their lives," she said. "For a lot of young people, some of these issues they're voting on will directly affect them."
A record 2,552 voters cast their ballots at the Rec Center, shattering the location's previous all-time high of 880, as reported by the precinct manager. That number is a 190 percent increase in overall voter turnout. Of those voters, 556 voted a straight Democratic ticket while 597 voted a straight Republican ticket. Senator McCain edged out Senator Obama 1303 to 1196 (a 52 to 47 percent margin).
The polls at the Rec Center opened at 7 a.m. and closed at 7 p.m.
