N.C. A&T, UNCG, and Bennett Students March to Vote After Campus Polling Sites Cut

On October 15, hundreds of students from North Carolina A&T State University, UNC Greensboro, and Bennett College marched nearly an hour to reach their nearest early voting site at Union Square Campus. As K97.5 reports, the joint demonstration followed decisions by election officials to deny both N.C. A&T and UNCG on-campus voting locations. Both institutions hosted early voting sites during the 2024 cycle. For this election, the Republican-led North Carolina State Board of Elections voted 3-2 along party lines in January to deny N.C. A&T a location, upholding the decision again in August. N.C. A&T is the largest four-year HBCU in the country. Stripping an early voting site from a campus of that size isn't administrative logistics; it is deliberate friction designed to wear down student turnout. The replacement site at Union Square, approved as a compromise by the Guilford County Board of Elections, forced students onto a 45-to-50-minute route missing sidewalk sections. The obstacle course did not stop at the door. Greensboro organizer Kema Leonard noted that lines stretched up to three hours, and poll workers briefly ran out of voter registration forms. Despite the delays, the Guilford County Board of Elections tallied more than 300 votes cast at Union Square on day one. Students proved they will clear unnecessary hurdles, but they should never have had to coordinate a cross-town trek just to execute a basic civic function. Early voting continues through November, and students planning to vote at Union Square should verify registration status and budget transit time ahead of local deadlines.