Election Day is here, and students registered to vote in Providence will be heading to polls located throughout College Hill to make their voices officially heard. But students who have not registered to vote or mailed in an absentee ballot still have a chance to vote in the presidential race.
Students registered to vote at Brown are assigned to one of four precincts on or near the campus - Hope High School, the Ladder 8 fire station on Brook Street, the Salomon Center or The Governors B.
Students are assigned to polling locations based on their dorm when they first registered - students who registered when they were first-year students, for example, are assigned to the polling location for their freshman dorm.
McCormick said students should notify poll officials if their address or dorm location has changed.
In a campus-wide e-mail Monday, President Ruth Simmons directed students unsure of their polling venue to the Web site of the Secretary of State of Rhode Island. The address is http://204.17.96.7/divs/elections/pollfinder/show_place.
The Brown Democrats funded signs posted throughout campus to inform students of polling locations, said Brown Democrats President Seth Magaziner '06.
Providence polls will be open between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m.
Same-day registration is available at the Dunkin' Donuts Center at One LaSalle Square in downtown Providence from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. today, according to Dawn McCormick, acting administrator of elections for the Providence Board of Canvassers. Voters who register on Election Day can only cast ballots for president and vice president - they cannot vote in local races or on ballot initiatives.
Same-day registration is designed to allow citizens who have failed to meet Rhode Island's 30-day registration deadline a chance to vote because of the importance of the presidential race, McCormick said.
It also provides a convenient last chance to vote for Brown students who are registered in their home state but did not send in an absentee ballot.
She added that people who are registered elsewhere but did not complete an absentee ballot should tell poll officials at the Dunkin' Donuts Center that they are registered in another state.
People who want to register to vote today need to bring a form of photo identification to the Dunkin' Donuts Center, McCormick said.
People who register today can only vote for president and vice president because it is impossible to obtain information about a person's General Assembly and State Senate districts quickly, McCormick said. Citizens who register today will be eligible to vote in all races in future elections.
As Brown students head to the polls today, any students or community members with questions can call the Providence Board of Canvassers at (401) 421-0495 for more information.
Televisions will be set up in the Gate, Josiah's and Faunce House so members of the Brown community can keep an eye on the election throughout the day tomorrow.
