HBCU students march to the polls in Greensboro after losing their campus early voting sites

When election officials took away their campus voting sites, students at North Carolina A&T and two nearby schools in Greensboro answered on foot. As early voting opened in North Carolina this week, crowds of students left their campuses together and walked to the nearest polling place to cast their ballots.

A long walk in the heat

On an afternoon that hit 85 degrees, A&T students met up on their campus, home of the nation's biggest four-year historically Black university. Students from UNC Greensboro and Bennett College, a historically Black college for women, joined the effort. More than 100 made the trip and some counts put the crowd in the hundreds.

The walk to Union Square took about 45 minutes. In places the sidewalk was broken or blocked by low branches and marchers had to step into the street. When they arrived the line stretched out the door.

Leaders cheer them on

Before they set off, the students heard pep talks from Anita Earls, who is running for a seat on the state's highest court, plus two Democratic lawmakers, Sen. Gladys Robinson and House Minority Leader Robert Reives. Reives told them they had shown up after their voting site was taken from them. He urged each student to vote that day and then bring along a friend who had not voted yet.

UNC Greensboro freshman Dasiyah Weiters came straight from class. It was her first time voting and she said she wanted to make sure her voice was heard. Student organizer Xavier Jones said election officials can move the polls as far from campus as they like. He said students will organize and march every time.

Why the sites are gone

Both A&T and UNC Greensboro had early voting on campus in the 2024 general election. This year the Guilford County Board of Elections turned down both sites. In January the state elections board split 3-2 on party lines to deny A&T a site. It said no again in August.

At that hearing Jeff Carmon, one of two Democrats on the state board, asked whether anyone could name a single voter who would be better off with fewer chances to vote.

Early voting in North Carolina continues through Oct. 31. On the ballot is a closely watched U.S. Senate contest in which Democrat Roy Cooper, a former governor, faces Republican Michael Whatley. A state Supreme Court seat is also up.

For many of the students the walk was more than a trip to the polls. It was a way to show that the youngest voters on these campuses intend to be heard.