Voting in a pandemic: Hopkins students navigate challenges with absentee voting
Reporting about the SGA, not a record of it: The Johns Hopkins News-Letter published this and the SGA did not write it, file it, or approve it. The archive holds it because the article itself uses the phrases “sga” and “student government”.
Summary
- This Johns Hopkins News-Letter article covers how Hopkins students and student groups handled absentee and in-person voting during the 2020 pandemic.
- The article reported that Maryland mailed every registered voter an absentee-ballot application, while California and New Jersey automatically sent ballots.
- The paper reported that Hopkins Votes ran a campaign to increase student voting; coordinator Reshmi Patel said the group held registration drives, absentee-ballot events and voter-information programs.
- The article says the SGA organized voting initiatives, while its Civic Engagement Committee used social media and considered incentives for student groups.
- The reporter writes that Casey Levitt had to update her address and request another Maryland ballot after moving, though she said the forms eventually arrived.
- According to the article, Emi Ochoa planned to vote in person because her mail ballot was delayed, while she and her roommates felt able to do so.
- The article cites Hopkins voting rates of 55.8% in 2016 and 42.5% in 2012; Levitt expected higher turnout, while Kevin LaMonica raised concerns about mailed ballots and postal-service problems.