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Turned Away But Determined To Vote

Posted Jan 29, 2008 by Neil Johnson

Updated Jan 29, 2008 at 04:54 PM

Christine Gibson, a graduate student of University of South Florida, is determined to vote. It’s just that she can’t do it at the precinct on campus.

When the 25-year-old political science major tried to vote in the student center, she was told her precinct was behind University Mall, too distant to walk to.

That means she needs to call her husband to pick her up and drive her to the polling place.

“It’s my first apartment. Since I was a USF student, I thought they’d extend the privilege,” she said.

The apartment appears to be just far enough from campus to be in another precinct.

But voting will come with a price. She’ll have to skimp on preparation for a 6 p.m. class.

“I’ll make sure I vote, but I won’t have done my reading for the class,” she said.