вЂњNext we will have elections for all the major statewide offices: the governor, the secretary of state, the attorney general, as well as Senate and House races,вЂќ he said. We had such a huge, intense, national election, and we are also in what we hope is the tail end of a pandemic.вЂќ

вЂњI think the fact that it was an off-year election, and that the timing was about as bad as it could be - those factors came together and made for a low turnout,вЂќ Page said. вЂњWe only had a table for first-years this time.вЂќДЄccording to Zeb Page, associate professor of Geology and member of OberlinвЂ™s Voter Friendly Campus committee, the magnitude of the previous yearвЂ™s national election as well as the circumstances of COVID-19 contributed to the low voter turnout among students. вЂњOn move-in day, we typically would have people stationed around all the dorms with clipboards,вЂќ said Alison Ricker, science librarian and member of the League of Women Voters. The League of Women Voters of Oberlin, a nonpartisan organization that normally staffs tables to help students register, was operating at a reduced capacity during move-in. For Oberlin students, registering to vote each year is often a necessity because most studentsвЂ™ housing changes each year. The off-year election limited the ballot issues to concerns within Lorain County, which significantly diminished press coverage of the election.ДЄ delayed start to the CollegeвЂ™s academic year also meant that the first day of classes coincided with the October deadline for voter registration, making it difficult for students to meet the deadline. There was a low voter turnout with only 19.97 percent of residents participating, compared with 28.58 percent in 2019, the last off-year election, and turnout was lowest in the precincts around and including Oberlin College.ДЄ confluence of factors, including a ballot without any national issues and changes to the academic calendar, may explain the lower turnout among students. 2 to vote in the 2021 general election, which included several local city and county issues.

Oberlin academic calendar 2019