Michigan State University President Kevin Guskiewicz says out-of-state college students should decide individually whether to vote on campus or by mail in their home states.
Guskiewicz spoke with WKAR News before casting his ballot Wednesday at the early voting center in WKAR’s Studio A.
Students from other states have the option to vote in Michigan elections by registering at their campus address.
Some students feel their vote has more of an impact in a key swing state than it would in states where elections are not as competitive.
Guskiewicz said the important thing is just that they vote, regardless of where that is.
“Some of them have different connections back in their home communities where they’ve gotten to know those candidates better, and where it may impact their life after MSU in a different way than it might if they were to vote here more locally and plan to stay in this community,” Guskiewicz said.
Guskiewicz said he has gotten to know many of the candidates in Michigan personally and isn’t a straight-party voter.
He encouraged students to use next week’s fall break to vote, and said faculty should be considerate of students’ needs on Election Day.
“They’ve talked about the possibility of, you know, ‘do we have to hold classes on Election Day?’ And we’re like, ‘yes, we kind of do have to hold classes,’ you know, for accreditation purposes, and we’ll do that,” Guskiewicz said. “But we provide some flexibility, and our faculty are very supportive.”
The early voting center in the Communication Arts and Sciences Building is open daily for East Lansing residents to vote early through Nov. 2.
Guskiewicz picked up a standard “I Voted” sticker on his way out, passing up the opportunity to collect one of the viral contest-winning designs.
