‘Transformed’ projects prove to be too large to fit the ballot box, but adjacent polling places are nearby
BY: JACOB POLITTE
Managing Editor
Campus Marketing and Communications Coordinator Wes Buchek has confirmed that the Meramec campus will not serve as a polling place for St. Louis County residents during an important Presidential Election year. Instead, the South County campus will serve as a voting location.
Room 105 of the now demolished Business Administration building had previously served as a polling location, most recently in the 2022 midterm elections. Buchek said that there’s not enough space on campus this year for a polling location, but that this is the only year that potential voters would be inconvenienced.
“It’s strictly a space issue here at Meramec,” he said. “We’re already very, very tight with how much space we have on this campus. So it just isn’t feasible this year. But the campus does plan on being a polling location again in the future when space opens back up.”
Despite the fact that Meramec will not serve as a convenient polling place for applicable students and faculty, there are two polling places within the immediate Meramec vicinity. Robinson Elementary, directly across the street from the Continuing Education building, is one. In addition, the Geyer Road Baptist Church slightly up the road from campus (located at the corner of Geyer and Woodbine) will also serve as a polling location.
In addition, Meramec will still host events and organizations that help students and the community register to vote. For example, the League of Women Voters will visit campus twice in the coming weeks. They’ll be set up in the Student Center Portico on Monday, Sept. 16 and Thursday, Oct. 3. On both days, they’ll be present from 10:30am to 2:00pm.
Buchek also says that the campus can help with completing the mail-in ballot process.
“I believe we have several notaries publicly available with the college/campus for those who need to get their mail-in ballot notarized,” he said.
In addition to the Presidential Election, Senate and House of Representatives seats are up for grabs at both the state and national level. Certain ballot initiatives, including abortion access and sports-betting, will also be decided by voters in November.
The deadline to register to vote in Missouri is Wednesday, Oct. 9.
