A 19-foot ballot box was commissioned as part of the ASUO’s voting campaign. Built by Carpenter’s Union and decorated by students, it is hoped that the attraction will raise awareness of election issues.
A 19-foot, 2.5 inch green ballot box towering over the EMU Courtyard is one of the most visible signs that the ASUO’s voter participation campaign has reached new heights.
Constructed by the Carpenter’s Union Saturday and painted by ASUO staff Sunday, “the world’s largest ballot box” has finally taken its spot outside the ASUO office.
The giant ballot box was supposed to be set up sometime last week, but construction was put on hold until this week because CU employees were out of town during the previous weekend, ASUO President Jay Breslow said.
With ballots already being mailed to voters, the box arrived just in time for students to begin slipping their completed forms through the slot, which can be reached by way of the adjacent balcony.
Looks are deceiving, though: The casing is slightly over 19 feet high, with an 8-foot square base, but the ballots will actually fall into a 2-foot square by 3-feet deep stainless steel ballot box that is required by law, ASUO State Affairs Coordinator Brian Tanner said.
He added that because the smaller box will be emptied nightly, voters won’t be able to insert their ballots at night. Nov. 7 is the last day to turn in ballots, which must be in by 8 p.m.
As the ASUO emerges from a successful voter registration drive — one in which it registered more students than any other member school of the United States Student Association — it moves into the second phase of its campaign: Voter education.
Part of the effort to educate voters is Ballot Measure Awareness Day, which runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. today in the EMU Amphitheater.
The day includes a ballot measure fair, with booths set up for representatives of various committees to distribute literature about the measures.
“It’ll be a really great opportunity to come out and receive further information from actual representatives of committees,” ASUO intern Megan Hughes said, who helped organize the event.
Tanner said the fair is not meant to be a debate or a forum for opposing sides to air out their opinions. Rather, it is a time for interested students and community members to pick up more information about some of the 26 ballot measures contained in this year’s two-volume voter’s pamphlet.
“There are a lot of ballot measures that affect students, and they should definitely know what’s on them,” said Nikaline Katesilometes, another ASUO intern who helped with the fair’s organization.
Tanner said the ASUO’s educational efforts have focused on seven ballot measures that specifically impact higher education — measures 7, 8, 9, 88, 91, 93 and 98.
Voter education will continue Friday, as the ASUO hosts another fair, this time for candidates. This event is set to take place from noon to 4 p.m. in the amphitheater. While some candidates will be at the fair, ASUO State Affairs Coordinator Melissa Unger said many of the people present will be candidate representatives for both the local and national elections.
