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Washtenaw
County
reported record levels of
voter turnout this election,
according to the Washtenaw
County elections site.
Nearly 19,600 Ann Arbor
residents out of the more
than
42,000
registered
voters across the city cast a
ballot in the election, a voter
turnout rate of nearly 50%.
Students also turned out at
a rate of around 15% in Ann
Arbor, with 7,368 expected
student ballots cast.
The
Michigan
Daily
obtained
voting
rate
predictions from Neighbors
for
Democracy,
an
organization
aimed
at
increasing
voter
turnout
in
Ann
Arbor
for
the
2020
election.
Final
results demonstrated that
turnout outperformed the
organization’s
original
predictions
by
16%
for
registrations and 10% for
votes cast. Neighbors for
Democracy predicted that
7,368 students would cast
ballots, with numbers from
the University of Michigan
Museum
of
Art
satellite
polling station.
Ann
Arbor
City
Clerk
Jacqueline
Beaudry
said
there
were
5,412
registrations
and
8,501
ballots turned in at the
University
of
Michigan
Museum of Art, a satellite
polling station that opened
in late September.
According to a Michigan
Daily survey of nearly 1,900
students from last month,
out of the 1,845 University
students registered to vote,
only 33.3% were registered
in the city of Ann Arbor.
Overall,
nearly
20,000
ballots were cast from all
five wards. As of now, it
is
estimated
that
about
7,368
University
students
cast their ballots in Ann
Arbor for the 2020 general
election.
In
2016,
about
16,740
students voted in the general
election out of about 25,557
who were registered.
Grace Hermann, president
of the University’s chapter
of College Democrats, wrote
in a statement to The Daily
that students recognized the
importance of their vote in
this election and that efforts
by
student
organizations
helped
increase
voter
turnout.
“In general, I think a
lot of students on campus
understood
how
much
their vote meant this year,
especially in a state as
critical
as
Michigan,
so
it was really exciting to
see young people not only
stepping up and voting but
also stepping up to make
phone calls, send texts and
volunteer to get out the
vote,” Hermann said.
K.P. Unnikrishnan is a
volunteer at Neighbors for
Democracy, an organization
that aimed to increase voter
turnout in Ann Arbor for the
2020 election.
JULIA FORREST &
VARSHA VEDAPUDI
Daily Staff Reporters
Washtenaw County sees record
levels of voter turnout in election
Nearly 19,600 Ann Arbor residents out of over 42K registered voters cast a ballot
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
News
2 — Wednesday, November 11, 2020
MICHAEL BAGAZINSKI/Daily
U-M released its plans for the winter semester Friday.
ADVERTISING
WMG-contact@umich.edu
On Friday, the University
released plans for the Winter
2021 semester. Here’s what you
need to know.
What does this mean for
housing?
Undergraduate
students
currently
living
in
the
residence halls will have their
housing contracts canceled. To
live on-campus next year, they
will have to apply for housing.
The
University
has
listed
health concerns, financial and
academic needs, international
status, employment as Housing
ResStaff and other extenuating
circumstances
as
potential
justifications
for
living
in
the
dorms.
The
University
will only house one student
per room in residence halls.
The
specific
process
for
reapplying will be shared with
on-campus students. Graduate
and professional students can
continue living in their current
housing because of low case
numbers in their communities.
Most
undergraduates,
including
those
living
off-campus,
are
strongly
encouraged to stay at their
permanent
residences
and
access instruction remotely.
Will there still be in-person
classes?
Yes, but only classes more
effectively taught in person or
essential to licensure will meet
in person, continuing with the
University’s
guidance
since
the stay-in-place order. No
instructor will be required to
teach in person. There will be
fewer hybrid classes because of
feedback from instructors on
the format’s difficulty.
What
will
COVID-19
testing look like?
Undergrads
living
in
residence
halls,
attending
in-person classes or activities,
using U-M buildings, working
or doing research on campus
will undergo mandatory weekly
testing. Other students, faculty
and staff will have access to
weekly asymptomatic testing.
Residence halls will require
students to test negative for
COVID-19 before moving in or
out. Overall, the University said
there will be “major increases
in asymptomatic testing for
all members of the campus
community.”
How will public health
policies be enforced?
The University will take
a
stricter,
no-tolerance
approach
to
public
health
policy violations. Gatherings
of three or more in residence
halls will result in automatic
probation, and students who
violate policies in quarantine or
isolation housing will have their
housing contract terminated.
Off-campus
students
who
violate COVID-19 restrictions
will be referred to the Office
of Student Conflict Resolution
and/or the Washtenaw County
Health Department.
Will there be a spring
break?
While Spring Break is still
canceled for the Winter 2021
semester, the University will
have two mid-week, one day
“well-being breaks” on Feb.
24 and March 23 without any
scheduled academic activities.
Will
the
University
buildings still be open?
Yes, the libraries, Unions and
recreational sports buildings
will remain open in the winter
semester, though hours will
be modified. Lounge spaces
in University Housing will be
available through reservation-
only.
Will the dining halls offer
dine-in services?
No.
Dining
halls
will
continue to offer “grab-and-go”
dining only.
What
mental
health
resources will be offered?
Counseling
and
Psychological
Services
will
expand their staff by eight new
counselors to combat long wait
times. Wolverine Wellness and
CAPS will continue to offer
their services virtually. Student
Life will also offer a wide range
of
virtual
extracurricular
programs and events related to
health and well-being.
Why did the University
change course from the fall
semester?
University President Mark
Schlissel wrote that the fall
semester saw an “unacceptable
level of COVID-19 cases among”
undergraduate students that
threatened to strain public
health
capacity.
The
top
concerns moving forward are
the cold and flu season and
colder weather that may move
people to congregate indoors,
as well as the surge of COVID-
19 cases across the state and
country. While the stay-in-
place order reduced student
cases in Washtenaw County,
they remain high overall with
a weekly test positivity rate
of around 4%. The University
also cited community feedback
including continued requests
for more testing, public health
guidance and lessons from the
current semester.
Daily Staff Reporters Jasmin
Lee, Calder Lewis and Dominic
Coletti can be reached at itsshlee@
umich.edu,
calderll@umich.edu
and dcoletti@umich.edu.
JASMIN LEE,
DOMINIC COLETTI
& CALDER LEWIS
Daily Staff Reporters
What you need to know about
U-M’s plan for winter semester
Administration releases details of protocol for classes, operations in 2021
See TURNOUT, Page 3
“It was really exciting to
see young people not only
stepping up and voting but
also stepping up to make
phone calls, send texts and
volunteer to get out the vote.”