With the 2020 Presidential election only days away, Marywood students are exercising their right to vote in multiple ways. Most college students apply for an absentee ballot because they cannot vote at home, however, due to the national mail delay, some students are utilizing other options.

Sophomore Music Education Major Kristin Ventricelli is from Long Island, New York and is a first-time voter. She returned to her hometown to vote in-person and says pandemic or not, she would still do it in person.

“I’ve just heard a lot of complications with the mail-in,” said Ventricelli.

Ventricelli said she feels it is more important now than ever to exercise their right to vote.

“I feel like a lot of issues in this country are not being addressed by this President,” said Ventricelli. “Voting is a way to get those issues addressed and [it] benefits the future of our country.”

Sophomore Architecture Major Nick Biser said he decided to vote using a mail-in absentee ballot. Biser, who is from Hershey, Pennsylvania, could not get home to cast his vote but said he believes his ballot will be received.

“I would rather vote in person, but that can’t really happen,” said Biser. “But think it’ll get there.”

Biser is one of the 86.9 million people who applied for or received an absentee ballot this year; a much higher number than normal due to the pandemic. Despite the delay in the United States Postal Service, many Americans are still relying on these ballots as a way to cast their votes.

Biser explained that he considers it his duty to vote.

“It’s my right and my duty and in doing so, it feels like an important event to me,” said Biser. “It’s a foundation of our democracy so why not do it? And it’s easy.”

Sophomore Speech-Language Pathology Major Molly Butler, who is from Dunmore, Pennsylvania, said she will cast her first vote for a presidential election in person on Election Day. Butler said she sees this election year as being especially important.

“This is going to be a really monumental election,” explained Butler. “A lot of rights of people I love are at stake.”

Junior Early Childhood Education Major Angela Klawitter is a first-time voter who will return home to Binghamton, New York to hand in her absentee ballot early and in person, however, she chose to leave the bubble for president blank.

“Being from New York, I don’t feel like my vote for the office of president is significant,” said Klawitter. “It is customarily a blue state, so my vote would either add to an overwhelming majority and not really count or be completely insignificant in comparison to an overwhelming majority and still not really count.”

Despite not voting for the office of president, Klawitter said she still believes it is important to vote for all of the other positions on the ballot as well.

“It’s a responsibility we have,” said Klawitter. “It is the only way to make our voices heard.”

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