VALDOSTA — Valdosta State University is looking for a facility on its campus that could work as a polling location in time for the November elections.

According to a statement from Dr. Vince Miller, vice president of student affairs at VSU, the college has shared its support with the Lowndes County Board of Elections to have a voting site on campus. 

“We are currently working together to determine which on-campus facilities meet the security and other requirements of a polling precinct in Georgia,” Miller said. 

He said that details related to operating and staffing a polling precinct will be worked out this summer. They intend to have a location identified and a plan in place before the start of fall semester, Miller said.

This began after the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia sent Deb Cox, supervisor of elections, a letter requesting Lowndes County reopen a polling station at the college. Cox responded by saying it was more complicated than that and invited the ACLU to attend the meeting for a more detailed conversation.

At a Lowndes County Board of Elections board meeting, a crowd voiced support for opening a new polling place on the main campus of VSU.

A lawyer with the ACLU of Georgia attended the meeting. The elections board addressed some concerns with opening a station at the college, which include a lack of space, interest and poll workers.

Cox said she spoke with VSU representatives who told her there was space available for a station, but the primary concern of the board is whether students or staff would be available to act as poll workers for the location.

The Young Democrats and Republicans of VSU resolved the issue by saying they were willing to collaborate with each other to manage the poll station during election days.

Multiple VSU students were at the meeting and spoke in favor of opening the polling station.

The board approved sending a letter to VSU’s president requesting a college polling station be opened.

Miller said about 15 percent of VSU students are Lowndes County residents. Out-of-county residents will need to go to their registered county to vote or register to vote in Lowndes County.

Thomas Lynn is a government and education reporter for The Valdosta Daily Times. He can be reached at (229)244-3400 ext. 1256