This is a story that ran in the Sidelines 100th Anniversary Edition newspaper, a print edition meant to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Sidelines.
The early 2000s didn’t just usher in low-rise jeans and side parts. It also sparked a push for greater electoral participation at MTSU, including advocacy for an on-campus polling place. Yet, two decades later, the effort remains unfinished.
“With every new generation, every new class of students coming to MTSU, the query continues,” Mary Evins, former American Democracy Project Director, said. “And the same thing is actually true from new faculty who arrive on campus.”
The American Democracy Project is a non-partisan organization that encourages informed civic engagement across U.S. campuses. In 2005, ADP pitched an on-site voting location, joining MTSU Sidney A. McPhee to advocate for legislation requiring the practice at state universities. These attempts did not make it past legislative subcommittees.
“I think it falls through because of a lack of parking on college campuses,” Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett said. “I think that’s the biggest deterrent to a local election commission making a decision to put a polling place on campus.”
But from her experience, Evins perceived that a different way.
“That’s a talking point,” Evins said. “The idea is that that’s not something that MTSU parking would be willing to do, but that’s also just an untrue statement.”
Evins said the real issue is whether officials want to provide students with opportunities to participate in the democratic franchise.
“And if we really wanted to do that, we would work out the parking,” Evins said.
There are no permanent precincts at any Tennessee public university. However, temporary early voting sites have appeared on a handful of campuses, with the first in Tennessee at East Tennessee State University in 2022. MTSU hasn’t participated in either, despite attempts to do both, Evins said.
Rutherford County Election Commissioner Alan Farley said these efforts failed because there is no need for an on-campus location, as five other options are within walking distance of MTSU, and the university makes transportation to these areas easy and affordable, often utilizing the existing bus system.
“We don’t feel like students are disadvantaged or disenfranchised because it is easily accessible,” Farley said.
But Aubrey Rogers, an MTSU junior, believes that for students who struggle with time management or transportation, an on-campus voting site would be a reminder and beneficial. Rogers voted at Motlow State Community College in the last election and said the process was simple and more convenient.
“I feel like if it’s on campus, it’s more accessible to a lot of people,” Rogers said. “I think everybody’s vote counts.”
Evins raised concerns about state officials’ motivations for not having on-campus voting and pointed to the split congressional districts at MTSU. The campus is divided into three sections on the electoral map, meaning nearby students are spread across three voting blocs.
“It is like dividing the MTSU students into thirds,” Evins said. “So that they could not as a block influence local politics. I think students do not realize the power that they could potentially wield, if they chose to do so.”
Still, in 2025, the Tennessee Supreme Court upheld the 2022 redistricting maps, ruling that plaintiffs failed to prove the districts were an unlawful partisan gerrymander.
“It’s never been easier to register to vote and to vote than it is in the State of Tennessee right now,” Secretary Hargett said.
The first midterm election primary is in May. Voters can determine the outcome of local seats in the August election. The general ballot is in November, with the Tennessee governor’s seat up for grabs. “It’s imperative that we all participate,” Evins said. “If we do not, it’s a failed experiment in self-governance.”
