Students said they were frustrated with administration’s decision to hold classes on Election Day. Some found it particularly unfair, given that other universities in New York State, such as Columbia University and Fordham University, have Nov. 5 off.
A University spokesperson declined to comment on Cornell’s rationale for holding classes on Election Day.
Ivy Lee ’28 told The Sun that “not having Election Day off at a busy school like Cornell makes voting so challenging,” adding that her schedule “is already packed with classes, assignments, labs and clubs, leaving me little flexibility to make it to the polls.”
Sarah Liu ’28 echoed Lee’s concerns, saying that “having the day off to have time to vote would’ve been really helpful because I barely made it to class after dropping off my ballot this morning.”
This year, top administrators have been noticeably less vocal in encouraging students to vote compared to the 2020 presidential election.
On Nov. 2, 2020, for instance, Vice President for University Relations Joel Malina made a statement to the Cornell community strongly encouraging students to cast their ballots on Election Day.
“If you are a registered voter and you have not already cast your ballot, please remember to vote tomorrow,” Malina wrote, adding that voting aligns with “the concept of free and open expression and the corollary freedom to engage in rigorous and reasoned debate are enshrined among our core values.”
This year, however, no top administrator sent out a statement urging students to vote.
Since the last presidential election, students have tried — and failed — to convince administrators to give students the day off on Election Day. In 2022, the non-partisan student-led initiative Cornell Votes unsuccessfully lobbied the University to make Election Day a campus-wide holiday.
Jada Ihejirika ’27 told The Sun that it was “kind of hard” to find time to vote before polls closed. Though she ultimately was able to cast her ballot, she said that her packed class schedule made it difficult.
Antone Jung ’27 was so determined to vote that he stayed up all night in order to make it to the polls when they opened this morning. He was so tired afterward, he said, that he ended up sleeping through some of his classes.
“I know some people with prelims tonight, and there certainly would’ve been more student voters if they canceled classes,” Jung said.
“Especially because a lot of students are first-time voters, having the day off for Election Day could’ve helped facilitate greater civic engagement by ensuring students have the necessary time and resources to actively participate in the political process,” Liu said.
Kristie To ’28 is a Sun contributor and can be reached at [email protected].