Temple student pushes school to cancel classes on Election Day and help drive people to the polls

Temple University senior Jared Goldberg started out alone, standing by the Bell Tower with a sign, rain or shine. But he said he has since gotten 4,300 signatures, including some high-profile supporters, to stand behind his idea.

He wants Temple to cancel classes on Election Day in November and use the university’s buses and shuttles to transport students, as well as elderly and disadvantaged voters, to the polls. At the very least, Goldberg said in his proposal, called Owls Out for Democracy, Temple should set aside a block of time without classes so students can be sure to get themselves to the polls.

“I’m of the belief that Nov. 8 shouldn’t be a day off, but a day where we engage ourselves in our democracy and promote the different ways students can service and engage with our community in North Philadelphia,” the 21-year-old political science major from Philadelphia wrote.

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Goldberg has made his pitch to senior administrative leaders at Temple, including the provost, and he said he has gotten some faculty to sign on to his petition. The English department tweeted out kudos. Some important alumni also have signaled support, including Eddie Glaude, chair of the Center for African American Studies at Princeton, and State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (D., Philadelphia), as well as an alumna who is a leader of the Bucks County League of Women Voters.

“I just want people to have the opportunity to vote,” he said, noting the heavy importance of the midterms. “They deserve unlimited access to the ballot.”

The university is looking at Goldberg’s proposal to see if select pieces could be implemented, said Ken Kaiser, senior vice president and chief operating officer, but he said there isn’t enough time to act on it in a sweeping way. Canceling classes across the board and using university vehicles to transport residents isn’t likely for this year. Much more evaluation is needed, he said.

“We love Jared’s proposal,” Kaiser said. “We love his passion, but it’s really difficult because he’s coming to us in mid-October for a November election. I wish he had come in August.”

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Kaiser said he hopes that Goldberg continues to push for the change next spring as something that could be implemented for next November.

“We could actually build it into the academic calendar,” he said.

For this year, the university is looking at whether it can shuttle students to the polls and encourage faculty to be accepting if students need to vote during class and take part in Election Day activities, he said.

Temple is an active voting campus. Kaiser noted that 90% of students who are registered to vote get to the polls.

Goldberg will make his pitch to the faculty senate at a Monday meeting, but for action to be taken, faculty members would have to put forth a measure.

His proposal was well-received at a faculty senate steering committee meeting earlier this week, said Kimmika Williams-Witherspoon, senate president.

But she said she wouldn’t support his hope that faculty give up a Dec. 6 study day in exchange for Election Day off, because the study day is too important to students’ academic success. She said if the university doesn’t cancel classes, she would be willing to encourage faculty to be flexible with students on Election Day.

Jeffrey Doshna, president of the Temple Association of University Professionals, said the union hasn’t taken a position on it, but he said he’s supportive of the concept.

“Anything we can do to make it easier for students, staff and faculty to vote is a good thing,” he said.

Doshna said he always tells his students if they are going to vote, that is an excused absence.

Goldberg, who volunteers for a progressive voter outreach group, said he got the idea at the end of August and began working toward it while juggling classes and work.

“We have buses that go around our neighborhood and shuttle kids to Temple football games [at Lincoln Financial Field] every week,” he said. “I thought we could use those to not only take kids to the polls but also to make a difference in our community.”

At first, he went door to door to professors’ offices, seeking support. Then he started sending emails. And finally, he stood for weeks by the Bell Tower with a sign, encouraging students to support his proposal.

Arlo Blaisus, a second-year Temple law school student, has joined in to help. Blaisus was successful last spring in getting the law school to agree to move classes that were scheduled for Nov. 8 to a later date.

“We have designated Election Day as a day of civic service,” said Blaisus, who is from Arkansas.

Goldberg’s proposal includes stories of disabled voters who had trouble getting to the polls and other local colleges that have canceled classes on prior election days, including Community College of Philadelphia.

“Philadelphia is the bedrock of where democracy started,” Goldberg said. “There’s no better place to show that student votes matter.”