W&M Law students to man Election Day VOTEline

Laying out the rules Members of the Election Law Society at the William and Mary Law School will man a helpline to assist student and community voters should they encounter difficulties at polling places in the Williamsburg area on Election Day. Society Treasurer, Kevin Pickens, explained voting rules to volunteers who will be manning the phones. Photo by Stephen Salpukas.

Volunteers ready Jennifer Farrar (l)takes notes during a training session for VOTEline. Farrar is among dozens of W&M Law student volunteers scheduled to man the phones on Election Day. Photo by Stephen Salpukas.

by Staff | November 3, 2008

Students at William & Mary Law School are once again set to launch the W&M VOTEline, a voter assistance hotline aimed at responding to difficulties students and community members face at the polls. This non-partisan hotline will be operated by student members of the school's Election Law Society (ELS).

"Voting is an important civic duty," ELS President Alison McGuire '10 said. "We want to ensure that all voters - young and old - who are properly registered to vote can do so. We will be manning the VOTEline phones on Election Day to answer any questions that might arise as voters arrive at a polling place to cast their vote."

The ELS will operate the VOTEline on November 4th from 8 A.M. to 7 P.M. William & Mary students and community members who are registered to vote may call the hotline at (757) 221-2890 to seek information regarding their legal rights at the polls.

"I encourage William & Mary students and members of the Williamsburg community at large to call the VOTEline with any questions or concerns they may have at the polls on Election Day," McGuire said.

Students are also advised to bring a government issued form of identification to the polls. Valid forms of identification include a voter identification card or a valid driver's license. A W&M ID card is sufficient ID for William & Mary students who are first time voters.

VOTEline was initiated during 2007 in response to outcries from William & Mary students who faced confusion at local election booths in the past. While originally aimed at assisting the university community, VOTEline in fact garnered calls from citizens across Hampton Roads.