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Tuesday, March 19
The Indiana Daily Student

Union Street sees slow voting traffic

Chris Wesley fills out a ballot during 2016 the presidential primary election in May at Cedar Hall. 

The Union Street Center polling location for the Indiana Primary remained largely empty through this morning.

Students drifted in and out of the polling room. Some carried coffee or breakfast in their hands, and some adorned their shirts with “I Voted Today!” stickers as they left the center, but none faced lines.

There were no campaigners present to hand out literature or make any noise. Most of the sounds in the Center came from footsteps, air conditioning or the chatter of employees at the center desk.

Chelsea McMullen, working at the center desk, said the building’s use as a polling location hadn’t changed its atmosphere from a regular morning.

“Union Street is pretty quiet in general,” she said. “It’s always like this.”

Senior Paige Homeier made an effort to get to Union Street early, she said, as she expected to face lines and hoped to beat a crowd.

“I really am surprised not a lot of people were here,” she said. “I was disappointed in that. I hope people continue to come throughout the day, and I hope people voted early. I think the student body could be really important in this election.”

Homeier said she anticipated a larger turnout given democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders’ appearance at IU last week.

Freshman Matt Hamilton, 19, voted for the first time in his life Tuesday.

Hamilton, who voted for Sanders, said he was worried by the lack of people who had shown up to vote.

“I think this is an important state,” he said. “If Bernie has a good showing amongst college voters, it at least shows the Democratic establishment what the youth are wanting.”

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