A Proposal for the

Establishment of an On-Campus Polling Location

at Wayne State University

Written by: Stuart Baum, President

Wayne State University Student Senate

2018-2019 Term

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Executive Summary

The current polling location serving the majority of the students living on and around the

campus of Wayne State University, located far from the campus core, and hosting triple the

capacity of a regular polling location, unduly burdens Wayne State University student residents

in their attempt to exercise their right to register and vote at their campus address. Students face

unique obstacles when attempting to access the polls, and it is thus imperative that every effort is

taken to make the voting process more accessible for students. The current inadequate and

unsustainable arrangement is counter to either the interests or values held by Wayne State

University and the City of Detroit, and impedes both student residents and lifelong non-student

residents of the City of Detroit alike in the voting process.

The best solution to this problem would be the decoupling of the precinct serving the

majority of Wayne State University student residents from the current shared polling location,

and instead establishing a new polling location for that precinct in an on-campus Wayne State

University facility. The Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights, the facility chosen to serve as

the new polling location, meets all accessibility requirements, has adequate parking spaces

available for voters, and will be free of conflicting university activities for the duration of each

election day. This new arrangement would achieve the goal of making voting more accessible to

the Wayne State University campus community without negatively impacting other residents for

whom the current polling location is convenient or desirable.

The establishment of a polling location at Wayne State University can be achieved

through the signing of an agreement between Wayne State University and the City of Detroit

stipulating the terms of this partnership, followed by the passage of a resolution by the Detroit

City Council sixty days prior to the first election where the polling location will be in operation.

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Introduction and Problem Statement

A long-running goal and commitment of the Student Senate is increasing student civic

engagement by breaking down the barriers that prevent students from fully participating in

elections. Under current law, students who live on campus can choose to use either their on-

campus or off-campus addresses for the purpose of voter registration.1 However, since many

students at Wayne State University are first-time registrants who register at the various voter

registration drives which are held on campus before every election, these students are not

allowed to vote absentee but instead are forced to vote in-person at their first election.2 As such,

many students who live on campus must use their on-campus address for voter registration so

they are able to vote in-person at their polling location during the hours it is open.

Yet, the majority of students who live on campus are currently assigned to a polling

location over a mile away,3 and the time it takes to travel there serves as a significant barrier

which impedes students from voting. In the Winter, when some of the most important elections

are held, a round trip from the heart of campus to the current polling location and back by foot,

bicycle, or public transportation can take nearly an hour; an amount of time that most students

cannot afford to waste. Further, the current polling location serves a combined nearly 5,000

residents4 from three different precincts,5 thus creating longer lines and longer wait times for

students once they make it to the polling location. With packed schedules and limited

transportation options, students who live on and around campus often find voting to be both

inaccessible to them and a distraction from their primary responsibilities as a student. With a

                                                                                                               1 “Voting for College Students,” League of Women Voters of Michigan. 2 MCL Chpt 168 Sec. 509t. 3 See Appendix A. 4 City of Detroit November 2016 General Election List of Registered Voters. 5 City of Detroit November 2016 General Election Precinct List.

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growing on-campus resident population, it is paramount that a solution is found to this problem

in a timely manner.

Proposed Solution

In order to break down this barrier that prevents students from voting, we seek to

establish an election polling location on campus where students who live on and around campus

can vote. The establishment of an on-campus polling location would serve as the most effective

and sustainable solution to the problems student residents currently face when attempting to

exercise their right to vote. In order to establish an on-campus polling location, the precinct

containing all but one of Wayne State University’s housing units, as well as the majority of off-

campus student residents according to the most recent housing survey,6 would have to be

decoupled from the other two precincts which are served by the current polling location. A new

polling location established to serve the precinct that encompasses nearly the whole campus

community could then be conveniently housed in a Wayne State University facility close to the

campus core and accessible to both students and non-student community members alike. The

facility which can best accommodate an on-campus polling location according to these criteria is

the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights.

Alignment with the Values and Interests of Wayne State University

As a university, we should make an effort to encourage and support student voting by

demonstrating our willingness to accommodate a polling location on campus. Voting is one of

the most powerful tools that students can use to positively impact the communities they live in, a

cornerstone of the Wayne State University Mission Statement. Further, establishing a polling

location on campus is one of the most impactful ways our university can strengthen both our

                                                                                                               6 “Wayne State University Student Housing Market and Demand Assessment,” Brailsford and Dunlavey, pg. 50.

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institutional connection and community engagement initiatives with the City of Detroit, as

outlined in Distinctively Wayne State, the Wayne State University Strategic Plan. As an

institution deeply invested in promoting student success, it is our responsibility to ensure that no

student should have to choose between attending class and voting, and that no student who

makes the effort to register to vote should then be prevented from voting on election day. With a

goal of preparing our graduates both for their chosen occupations and to become well-rounded

citizens, it is important for us to help foster a habit of voting that students can carry on past

graduation. Prominently hosting a polling location on campus would not only benefit our on-

campus residents, but it would also benefit our commuter student population by providing them

with a visual reminder to vote on election day, an affirmation of the value of voting itself, and an

opportunity to engage in on-campus civic activities surrounding the polling location. Both

students living on and off campus would further benefit tremendously from the convenient

opportunity to earn money working at the polling location itself, or to count their hours working

at the polling location toward community service and donate their income to a worthy cause.

Seeing as 75% of Wayne State University’s self-defined peer institutions,7 and a quarter of all

Michigan Public Universities already host on-campus polling locations,8 it is time for Wayne

State University to join the ranks of these fine institutions and demonstrate our commitment to

promoting student civic engagement. Best of all, Wayne State University would incur no

additional costs by hosting a polling location in an on-campus facility, seeing as Wayne State

University already budgets for the daily operation of all of its facilities, and the City of Detroit is

responsible for providing all equipment and staff to support the operation of the polling location

itself. With the selection of the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights as the venue to host the

                                                                                                               7 See Appendix B. 8 See Appendix C.

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proposed polling location, potential lost parking space revenue or increased strain on parking

space availability may be minimized by utilizing the parking lot with non-assigned parking

spaces in front of the Center. With all of this in mind, it is in the interest of Wayne State

University to work toward promptly establishing a polling location on campus.

Alignment with the Values and Interests of the City of Detroit

The establishment of a polling location at Wayne State University would not only benefit

the Wayne State University campus community, but it would also be in the best interest of the

City of Detroit. As stated in the Preamble of the Charter of the City of Detroit, the City of

Detroit seeks to address the needs of all citizens in our shared community, including both on-

campus student residents and lifelong permanent residents of the City of Detroit. In contrast to

the current polling location that serves a combined three precincts, with its long lines and

frustrating wait times, the establishment of a polling location at Wayne State University, and the

associated reduction in wait times at both the current polling location and the proposed Wayne

State University polling location, would assist the City of Detroit in meeting the need all

residents have for a speedy and convenient voting experience. Additionally, since the City of

Detroit already maintains separate equipment, supplies, and staff for each precinct as mandated

by Michigan election law,9 the City of Detroit will incur no additional cost by decoupling the

precinct serving the majority of Wayne State University student residents and instead hosting

that precinct at a polling location on the campus of Wayne State University. The only potential

cost that the City of Detroit would incur would be the one-time minimal cost of mailing notices

to the residents affected by the change of location for the precinct serving the majority of Wayne

State University student residents. Most of all, by only decoupling the precinct that serves the

                                                                                                               9 “State of Michigan Election Officials’ Manual,” State of Michigan Bureau of Elections, chpt. 10 pg. 1.

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majority of Wayne State University students from the current shared polling location, the voters

from the other two precincts served by the current shared polling location will be able to

continue voting at the same polling location that they always have, thus preventing other voters

from being inconvenienced in any way by the establishment of a new polling location at Wayne

State University. At the same time, the leadership of the Bethel AME Church who value the

opportunity to give back to their community by hosting the current polling location at their

church will also be unaffected by the establishment of the new polling location at Wayne State

University. Furthermore, like the Bethel AME Church polling location, the selection of the

Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights, established to honor Judge Damon J. Keith’s

contributions to the fight for civil rights in Detroit, as the on-campus polling location would send

a strong signal that the polling location is steeped in the values of the community which it serves.

With Wayne State University students making up nearly a fifth of all the registered voters in the

precinct serving the campus community,10 and where students registered to vote in the precinct

vote in-person on election day at a vastly disproportionate rate11 due in part to the legal

restrictions on their ability to vote absentee, the establishment of a polling location at Wayne

State University serving the precinct where Wayne State University students are concentrated

better meets the needs of the voters that make up the precinct.

Method of Implementation

In order to make this solution a reality, the following procedure must be implemented.

First, a Wayne State University facility must be identified for the purpose of serving as an on-

campus polling location. A Wayne State University facility would qualify to serve as an on-

campus polling location if its use as a polling location does not interfere with regular day-to-day

                                                                                                               10 See Appendix D. 11 Ibid.

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university operations, if an adequate number of parking spaces at or near the facility could be

made available and reserved for the use of voters on election days, and if the facility meets the

accessibility standards mandated by law for all polling locations.12 Such a facility would need to

be able to accommodate elections occurring on any of the regular election dates (the first

Tuesday after the first Monday in May, August, and November; and the Presidential Primary

Election occurring on the second Tuesday in March of every presidential election year)13 in

addition to the rare special election days.14 In an average year, the facility designated as serving

as a polling location would likely have to accommodate no more than two election days.

Further, access to the facility serving as an on-campus polling location must be given to the City

of Detroit for the purpose of operating the polling location for the duration of each election day,

as well as the days immediately preceding and following each election day for the purpose of

picking up and dropping off their election equipment. The facility which best meets each of

these criteria is the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights at the Wayne State University Law

School.

With the approval of the Law School administration of the use of the Damon J. Keith

Center as a polling location, and once a canvas by the City Clerk’s office of the Damon J. Keith

Center has demonstrated that it meets legal accessibility standards, a tentative agreement

between Wayne State University and the City of Detroit on the use of the facility as a polling

location must be written. Such an agreement may be modeled after the agreement between

Eastern Michigan University and the City of Ypsilanti for the designation of an on-campus

polling location.15 Using that framework, such an agreement should identify the facility to be

                                                                                                               12 See the State of Michigan Bureau of Elections Polling Place Accessibility Worksheet. 13 MCL Chpt. 168 Sec. 641. 14 MCL Chpt. 168 Sec. 613a.  15 See Appendix E.

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used as the on-campus polling location, identify the duration of time where the City of Detroit

will be given access to the facility, identify which party is to be held liable for damages related to

the operation of the polling location, identify a method whereby either party could seek to

change the polling location or terminate the agreement in consultation with the campus

community, and identify a Wayne State University official who will serve as the primary contact

person and coordinator with the City of Detroit in the usage of the designated facility as a polling

location. This agreement should be tentatively vetted and approved by both parties, contingent

on the final approval of the establishment of the on-campus polling location by the City of

Detroit.

Finally, in order to officially approve the establishment of a polling location at Wayne

State University, the Detroit City Council will have to pass a resolution to that effect no less than

60 days prior to the first election date for which the Wayne State University facility will be used

as a polling location.16 Such a resolution can be modeled after the resolution passed by the

Ypsilanti City Council that established a polling location at Eastern Michigan University.17

Using that framework, the resolution should identify the Wayne State University facility

designated to serve as a polling location, and explain the rationale from the perspective of the

City of Detroit that justifies the establishment of the polling location. Though the City Clerk

does not have a defined role in this process, it is important to get the approval of the City Clerk,

as the chief election administrator of the City of Detroit, in order to ensure the smooth transition

to this new polling location. An additional effort should be made to gain the approval of the

Detroit City Council Member for the Sixth District, as the precinct that the proposed polling

                                                                                                               16 MCL Chpt. 168 Sec. 662. 17 See Appendix F.

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location will be serving falls within the borders of the Sixth District.18 Upon the passage of this

resolution, the agreement between the City of Detroit and Wayne State University outlining the

terms of their partnership in the establishment of this polling location should thus go into effect.

By following this implementation procedure, the establishment of a sustainable polling location

at Wayne State University can be assured.

                                                                                                               18 Detroit City Council District Map.

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Appendix A: Precinct/Polling Location Map

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Peer InstitutionsOn-Campus Polling Location(s) On-Campus Facilities Used

Michigan State University Yes Brody Hall, Intramural Sports Facilities, MSU UnionIndiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis NoTemple University NoUniversity at Buffalo Yes North Campus Student UnionUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham Yes Bell Wallace GymUniversity of Cincinnati Yes Langsam LibraryUniversity of Colorado Denver NoUniversity of Houston Yes Student Center North and the Recreation and Wellness CenterUniversity of Illinois at Chicago Yes Physical Education BuidlingUniversity of Louisville NoUniversity of Minnesota Twin Cities Yes

Weisman Art Museum and the Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center

University of New Mexico Albuquerque Yes Student UnionUniversity of Pittsburgh Yes William Pitt Student Union and Posvar Hall LobbyUniversity of Utah Yes Marriott Library Gould AuditoriumVirginia Commonwealth University Yes University Student Commons

Appendix B: WSU Peer Institutions with On-Campus Polling Locations19

                                                                                                               19 Wayne State University Office of Institutional Research and Analysis Peer List.

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Appendix C: Michigan Public Universities with On-Campus Polling Locations

Michigan Public Universities

On-Campus Polling Location(s) On-Campus Facilities Used

Central Michigan University NoEastern Michigan University Yes Honors CollegeFerris State University NoGrand Valley State University NoLake Superior State University NoMichigan State University Yes Brody Hall, Intramural Sports Facilities, MSU UnionMichigan Technological University NoNorthern Michigan University NoOakland University NoSaginaw Valley State University NoUniversity of Michigan Ann Arbor Yes

Michigan Union, Michigan League, Sports Coliseum, Pierpont Commons, Northwood Community Center, Palmer Commons

University of Michigan Dearborn NoUniversity of Michigan Flint NoWayne State University NoWestern Michigan University Yes Student Center

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Appendix D: Precinct Student Voter Statistics

Students18%

Non-­‐Students82%

Detroit  Nov.  2016  Pct  149:  Registered  Voters

Students15%

Non-­‐Students85%

Detroit  Nov.  2016  Pct  149:  All  Votes  Cast

In-­‐Person  Election  Day93%

Absentee7%

Detroit  Nov.  2016  Pct  149:  All  Student  Votes  Cast

In-­‐Person  Election  Day70%

Absentee30%

Detroit  Nov.  2016  Pct  149:  All  Non-­‐Student  Votes  Cast

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Appendix E: City of Ypsilanti/EMU Polling Location Agreement

POLLING PLACE AGREEMENT

The City of Ypsilanti, a Michigan Municipal Home Rule City of 1 South Huron Street, Ypsilanti, MI 48197 (City) and Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan 48197 (Owner) here by agree as follows:

1. As part of the democratic process the City is responsible to hold elections as provided in State law and the City Charter.

2. To hold elections the City needs places for elections to attend and vote, hereafter polling places.

3. The State of Michigan requires that the City of Ypsilanti establishes in writing an agreement between the City and any organization that allows the City to use its facilities as a polling location for qualified elections.

4. Owner has a suitable location for a polling place or places as shown below.

5. Owner agrees to provide the said polling place(s) to City at no charge for all Primary, General, Special and Local Elections during the time of this Agreement, beginning with the 2016 General Election.

6. Owner agrees that the City may enter the said polling place(s) starting at 6:00 a.m. of the Election Day and continuing until the election is finished, sometime after 8:00 p.m.

7. Owner agrees that City may enter the said polling place(s) one day prior and after Election Day between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to deliver or retrieve materials to be used on Election Day.

8. City has insurance and agrees to hold the Owner harmless from any claim or demand or liability that may arise because of the use of City of the said polling place(s).

9. Owner agrees to not interfere with the process of the election in any way and recognizes that there may be election activity (electioneering) around the polling place(s) on Election Day including persons handing out literature and the posting of signs. State law prohibits electioneering within 100 feet of the entrance to the polling place(s).

10. Polling place(s): Address Contact Person Telephone Number

E.M.U. Honors College 511 W. Forest, Ypsilanti, MI 48197 Marge Preston 734- 487-7048

11. This Agreement shall have an indefinite term beginning September 1, 2016. The Agreement may be terminated by either party UPON 90 DAYS NOTICE.

So agreed to this ______ day of _____________ 2016. City of Ypsilanti Eastern Michigan University __________________________________________ __________________________________________ By: Frances McMullan, Ypsilanti Interim City Manager By: Leigh R. Greden, Esq., Adviser to the President

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Appendix F: City of Ypsilanti EMU Polling Location Resolution

Resolution No. 2016-184 August 16, 2016

RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF YPSILANTI: WHEREAS, the City of Ypsilanti is always striving to improve efficiencies when conducting elections and ways to make voting more assessable and convenient for the citizens of the City of Ypsilanti; and WHEREAS, in order to improve upon space, efficiency and parking, the City Clerk is recommending the removal of Precinct 2-4, primarily a student precinct, from Estabrook Elementary (1555 Cross) to Eastern Michigan University’s Honors College – former Trinity Church on W. Forest; and WHEREAS, in order to improve upon space, efficiency, and to provide a voting place for students, the City Clerk is recommending the removal of 3-1, from Emmanuel Lutheran Church (201 N. River) to Eastern Michigan University’s Honors College – former Trinity Church on W. Forest. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Council of the City of Ypsilanti approves the relocation of precincts 2-4 and 3-1, effective November 8th, 2016 and for all future elections. OFFERED BY: SUPPORTED BY: YES: NO: ABSENT: VOTE: