Duke supports voter registration

Over the past few weeks, questions have been raised about Duke University's position on voter registration, especially surrounding a decision by Duke Athletics not to permit voter registration in Wallace Wade Stadium and surrounding parking lots during the Duke-UVa game Sept. 30. On behalf of Duke, I'd like to clarify Duke's commitment to ensuring its students are engaged in voting-an action that defines our democracy.

By long-standing practice of the Athletics Department, a wide array of activities are not permitted in Wallace Wade or in Cameron Indoor Stadium without prior permission. A volunteer coach for the women's lacrosse team had asked permission a week or so before the UVa game to conduct a student voter registration drive in Wallace Wade. Athletics Department officials, concerned about the possibility that the effort could be seen as a political statement regarding the District Attorney's race, told her "no." Athletics historically has said no to any seemingly partisan political activity in the facilities for which Athletics is responsible. Admittedly, voter registration is not a partisan political activity, but given the visibility and controversy surrounding the District Attorney's race, one can imagine why people in Athletics were concerned it might be perceived as such.

On game day, when an official in the Athletics' marketing and promotions office entered the stadium, he noticed some students-members of Duke Students for an Ethical Durham-were organizing to register voters in Wallace Wade and asked them not to do so. Unfortunately, he also incorrectly told them they could not continue their registration of students that had already begun in the Blue Zone parking lot adjacent to Wallace Wade. The official assumed that on game days, the lot was an Athletics Department facility. This was an honest mistake, not consistent with University policy, which he and the leadership of the Athletics Department and the University sincerely regret.

Several weeks earlier, when members of the lacrosse team approached Coach John Danowski about their interest in organizing a voter registration effort, he told them that doing so would be inappropriate as an organized team activity, but that as individuals they had a perfect right to engage with others in encouraging voter registration. Several lacrosse team players then joined with other students to encourage voter registration through Duke Students for an Ethical Durham. Though Duke Students for an Ethical Durham is not a registered student group and, thus, not officially recognized by the University, it has worked with other student groups to encourage Duke students to fulfill their civic responsibility.

Duke strongly supports voting and voter registration efforts. The library has a wonderful voter registration website http://www.lib.duke.edu/reference/virtual/voting.html, and our Student Affairs office works closely with recognized student organizations to encourage such efforts.

The former president of Rock the Vote spoke on campus this past Monday to encourage student voting and, as The Chronicle has reported, the West Campus Plaza was the site for a major voter registration event Oct. 12.

Finally, I want to urge all members of the University community to vote for the candidates of their choice in local, state and national elections Nov. 7.

John Burness is the senior vice president for public affairs and government relations for Duke University.