Election Day is one week from today.

This is an extraordinarily important election. Many say it is the most important election in modern history.

I hope all members of our university community will put the public affairs mission into practice and vote. Regardless of your political beliefs, we have many important decisions on the ballot, and I encourage you to make your voice heard by voting in this election.

Vote on campus

JQH Arena will be a central polling location for this election, meaning any voter registered in Greene County can vote there on Election Day regardless of their assigned polling location. We collaborated with Greene County Clerk Shane Schoeller to move the polling location from the Welcome Center to JQH Arena to allow social distancing while voting and waiting in line.

If you are registered to vote in Missouri, you can find your designated polling location on the Secretary of State’s webpage. You can also learn about other voting options (such as absentee voting, voting by mail, etc.) through the Secretary of State’s “How to Vote” webpage or through resources provided by the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Notaries are available at select times in Plaster Student Union and Glass Hall to assist with remote voting.

Learn about candidates, issues

There are many important decisions on next week’s ballot. We will vote for President and Vice President of the United States. We will also vote for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer and Attorney General. Representatives in the federal and state legislature are also on the ballot, along with candidates for several county offices.

We will also vote on two important ballot issues. The first would establish term limits for additional statewide offices. The other would ban lobbyist gifts, reduce campaign contribution limits and change the redistricting process.

Many of the candidates on this year’s ballot have Missouri State University or other higher education connections. Moreover, the decisions we make in this election will undoubtedly impact the university and our students, faculty and staff.

I encourage you to preview next week’s ballot online and research the candidates and issues.

Be civil, be heard

Because this election is so important, many of us have strong views on which candidates and ballot issues should win. This will result in some folks in our campus community feeling very disappointed with the results of the election, regardless of which candidates and issues receive the most votes.

Please keep the three pillars of the public affairs mission in mind as you make your voice heard before and after the election. As ethical leaders, we should all be prepared to articulate our values. However, we should also recognize and respect multiple perspectives and cultures.

Be attentive and acknowledge others. Be inclusive, listen and respect other views. Speak with courage, but act with compassion. Give and accept constructive feedback. Understand your environment, and take responsibility for mistakes and actions. Be civil and be heard.

Paws to the Polls

MSU operates a nonpartisan campus voting initiative called Paws to the Polls. You can find more information about this election and how you can vote through their pamphlet and website.

Topics covered include:

• Why you should vote.
• How to register to vote.
• Unbiased sources for voter information.
• Ways to cast your ballot in 2020.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!