In Support of Rescheduling Election Day Classes

We, The Phoenix Editorial Board, maintain that Swarthmore College should not hold classes on Election Day, in order to reduce the voting barriers for students and the broader community. As Swarthmore’s mission “commit[s] to peace, equity, and social responsibility,” the college should not keep barriers to voting in place, especially not in a battleground state during a highly consequential election.

The initiative to reschedule class on Election Day at Swarthmore continues to gain momentum, even making it to a 2023 Student Government Organization resolution and a faculty petition, but the effort has not been passed by faculty or approved by administration. The Phoenix, along with faculty and student organizations, has long supported this initiative, with our publication issuing editorials both in 2018 and in 2022. While student groups have mobilized voter registration around campus, the administration can do more to ensure high voter turnout.

There is currently no cancellation planned for Nov. 5, but the college canceled classes on Election Day in 2020, showing that the administration clearly understands the importance of elections. We urge the college to follow the powerful precedent they set in 2020, and continue this history of meaningful civic engagement.

Nearby institutions Drexel and Temple Universities don’t have class on Election Day, and the University of Pennsylvania does not allow professors to schedule exams or assign work due on Election Day. Swarthmore should follow the example of these colleges — and of itself in 2020 — and respect the importance of Election Day. Swarthmore could also lead the way for other local institutions that plan to hold classes on Nov. 5, including Bryn Mawr and Haverford Colleges. It is the responsibility of institutions committed to social good, positive change, and equity to pave the way to such values on a broader scale, and thus to simplify the voting process for members of the college community and allow them to cast their ballots impediment-free.

In 2020, President Joe Biden won Pennsylvania by 1.17%. In 2016, former President Donald Trump won the state by just 0.72%. And polls suggest that the 2024 presidential election in Pennsylvania will likely be decided by small margins once again. 

This election comes at a time of renewed voter suppression. Furthermore, voting at Swarthmore College involves a distinct set of complicating factors. Our campus has a split precinct, meaning a student’s polling location depends on their dorm’s position in relation to the train tracks. Unlike our TriCo neighbors Haverford and Bryn Mawr, there is no polling location on Swarthmore’s campus. Broadly, the cost of voting in Pennsylvania is higher than in most other swing states.

Having class on Election Day means that not everyone has easy access to polling centers. Staff and faculty who commute to Swarthmore or have childcare burdens have less free time to vote. Even when professors do allow students to be absent for Election Day, they may simply opt to attend class instead of voting, with the worry of falling behind. Instead, all classes on Election Day could be rescheduled for later in the semester, similarly to how classes missed for Thanksgiving Break are added to the end of the semester. This would allow the college to offer full access to civic participation without sacrificing valuable education.

A college which purports to commit to social justice ought to adopt this nonpartisan step to reduce barriers towards civic engagement. Swarthmore has canceled classes on Election Day before; we commend that act and underscore that the college can do it again. Swarthmore should aim to maximize the turnout of eligible voters in our student, faculty, and staff community. Mobilizing the Swarthmore community to the polling booths is a matter of the college committing to its mission and letting Swatties know that their vote matters. Every vote counts.