The scheduling of exams at the University of Otago on Election Day comes as a huge blow to voting accessibility for tertiary students. While New Zealand employers are required to give their employees time off to cast a vote, students have been afforded no such protection from their study obligations and exam preparations.
“Tertiary students have one of the lowest turnouts of voters in General Elections, and making voting more accessible is critical to improving democratic participation” says NZUSA Vice President Sam Smith.
“While we acknowledge the constraints that COVID-19 is placing on tertiary education providers around exam timetables, providers should be partnering with student representatives to support electoral engagement amongst their students.”
“It is pleasing to see that the University of Otago and OUSA have already taken steps to mitigate the issue by upscaling communication with affected students and the wider student body around accessible options for voting. This includes details about the multiple voting booths and advanced voting options on campus.”
Other tertiary providers around Aotearoa should learn from the University of Otago’s mistake and ensure that their exams do not fall on Election Day, in order to protect and promote the integrity and accessibility of our democracy for all voters.
