TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) - The University of Arizona does not have an Election Day polling location, which has some students concerned.

As of now, the closest polling location on Election Day will be the First United Methodist Church on Park and South Campus Drive. It’s just a 5- to 10-minute walk from Old Main, but students tell 13 News it’s just another barrier.

“The more difficult you make something and the more barriers you put in front of people, the less likely they are to do things,” said Miranda Lopez, a graduate student and member of the Arizona Students’ Association. “Even if the barriers are very, very low.”

Lopez said she wasn’t a part of the discussions on an Election Day polling location on campus and was disappointed to learn there wasn’t.

“We know that students are very likely to leave things to the last minute,” she said. “We’re still registering students now who said, ‘Yeah I’ll register to vote later.’ It’s later.’”

There will be an early voting location available at the student union, but it won’t remain a voting location on Election Day. Lopez said this could also be confusing for students.

“Our fear is that students will show up on Tuesday thinking that they can drop off their ballot and then realize they have to go to the church and, for whatever reason, choose not to vote.”

Adriana Grijalva, President of the Associated Students of the University of Arizona, told 13 News she and the ASUA worked with county officials to try to bring voting on Election Day to campus but it proved too challenging.

“It wasn’t accessible for Election Day with long lines and parking is expensive,” Grijalva said. “At the church, there’s free parking, it’s a five-minute walk, long lines and those things that we tend to see on election day, it was just more accessible.”

Lopez and Grijalva are thankful the university has an early voting location, which is a first for the university.

“I understand that there is a concern that students may be disenfranchised because there is not a Vote Center located inside the historic boundaries of the University of Arizona. However, the UA campus has long ago spread out beyond those historic boundaries, crossing Park Avenue, Speedway Boulevard, and Sixth Street with dorms, research and college buildings, parking lots and a medical campus.

The University and the Elections Department considered multiple locations before making a final decision to direct voters to the established location that has been a polling place since before the 2020 election. The Vote Center at the First United Methodist Church, 915 E. Fourth St., is on the Western side of the University along Park Avenue. It has easy, free parking and is surrounded by dorms and many of the new high-rise student apartments on Park. The Vote Center is 100 yards from the historic Main Gate entrance to the University and Lun Link Streetcar line, and 300 yards from the Student Union.

The University and Pima County Elections are making considerable efforts through social media, websites, student media, on-campus outreach events, signage and more to ensure students know where to vote on Election Day.”