Tuesday is the final day for Oregonians to vote in the upcoming midterm elections and the ASUO is doing its best to make sure students don’t forget.
Halloween night, members of the ASUO executive went to Kinsrow-area apartments, specifically Chase Village Apartments, for an event called Trick or Vote.
ASUO Chief of Staff Ben Eckstein said the event was focused on canvassing and information, but with a Halloween theme.
“People will probably be knocking on doors and then instead of ‘trick or treat’, ‘trick or vote,’ and just reminding people of the deadline,” Eckstein said.
University freshman Manny Garcia canvassed apartments Sunday night. He said he helped knock on doors for other causes prior to attending the University and was glad he could get involved in a University organization.
“I mean, I was aware that (Trick or Vote) happened in Eugene, but I didn’t know you could do it through the University, so it was really, really cool to learn that,” Garcia said.
University junior Edward Stratton said he got involved with canvassing for Trick or Vote because he wasn’t as involved as he wanted to be prior to the voter registration deadline.
“I hadn’t done much to help people to register to vote so I felt compelled to help people get their ballots in, do what I could, do some phone-banking,” Stratton said. “Voting is the most important thing our society can do.”
Trick or Vote says the event started in Portland in 2004, spread out into 35 cities in 2008, and happened in more than 75 cities this election cycle on Saturday and Sunday.
The ASUO hopes to have some bipartisan support for voting efforts Tuesday afternoon from Oregon’s two primary gubernatorial candidates by having Democrat candidate John Kitzhaber and Republican candidate Chris Dudley on campus. If they come, the candidates will help collect ballots.
As of deadline, Kitzhaber and Dudley have yet to confirm an arrival time, but expressed interest in coming to the University.
Eckstein said the drop box near the ASUO office would probably be the best option for students who have yet to turn in their ballot, because it is too late for Oregonians to mail ballots in before the deadline.
In addition, the drop box is state-controlled, so the Lane County Elections Office will come by and pick up ballots periodically until the deadline at
8 p.m. Tuesday.
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