Students from the political science course “Campaigns and Elections” helped load voting machines and other items the weekend before Election Day. (Photo courtesy of Emma Reed ’25)
Emma Reed ’25 spent Saturday night on the front lines of democracy — loading voting machines, provisional ballots, signs and more onto trucks for distribution to polling locations across Knox County in anticipation of Election Day on Tuesday.
“It was a lot of fun,” said the political science major from Red Hook, New York. “I thought it was a very interesting way to learn about elections. It gave me a good insight on the actual process.”
Reed was helping the local board of elections as part of the political science course “Campaigns and Elections,” which examines the influence American citizens have on their government through political parties and elections.
Assistant Professor of Political Science Zachary McGee, who teaches the course, said that while classroom work is valuable in learning about modern challenges facing the democratic system, that only goes so far.
“History and contemporary political science can do some work in giving the students perspective, but I don’t think that’s enough,” McGee said. “So I thought maybe the best way for them to really see what democracy is like is to get involved.”
That led to a plan for students to assist officials with the Knox County Board of Elections as they prepared for this year’s hotly contested presidential election. Some, like Reed, loaded voting machines over the weekend while others assisted at the board of elections on Election Night.
Students were required to participate in some way, and were paid by the board of elections for their time and effort.
“There’s nothing like actually participating and knowing you’re making a difference,” McGee said. “Kenyon has a unique opportunity here because we’re in a rural area and there are fewer people in general and the board of elections needs help. I’m a big believer in using our institution to help things that matter, and I think this matters.”
Sam VanderWeele ’27 was among those who helped load equipment over the weekend. The Chicago native — who voted in person at the Gambier Community Center on Tuesday — said it was valuable to get a firsthand look at all the hard work that goes into making an election happen and ensuring that it’s secure.
“I’m really glad that I did it because it’s insightful to see how all of it works,” he said.
He particularly enjoyed a tour of the facility that showcased all the forethought and precautions that have been taken to prevent fraud.
Hannah Gross ’27, of Newburyport, Massachusetts, said there was a positive energy on Election Night at the board of elections in Mount Vernon, where she and fellow students helped to unload technology and equipment that others brought after polls started to close.
“It was really interesting to be able to see more of the behind-the-scenes action,” said Gross, who voted early in Mount Vernon. “I feel like a lot of times when you vote, you kind of just fill in your ballot and you turn it in and then you feel like your job is done. … Being able to see more of the process of how it works logistically was really rewarding.”
The course is one of more than 30 community-engaged learning courses being offered at Kenyon this semester. Facilitated by the Office for Community Partnerships, these classes are designed to give students opportunities to access community knowledge or meet community needs while offering reflection on real-world, hands-on experiences.
“Zac McGee came to new faculty orientation with community-engagement ideas ready to go — and it’s because of passionate, open-minded faculty like him that the College is able to offer these incredible experiences that many students describe as integral to their college career and beyond,” said Alyssa Gómez Lawrence ’10, assistant director in the Office of Community Partnerships.
Given all the recent headlines questioning election security, McGee said he wanted students to see the reality of American democracy. Knox County Board of Elections Director James Blazer and Deputy Director Jack Goodman jointly addressed issues related to election security with McGee’s class in September.
“They gave us these flyers about how secure Ohio’s elections are, and they talked to us a lot about the security measures that they have in place,” McGee said. “They were telling us that there are multiple rooms in the board of elections where they’re literally not allowed to have access unless both of them scan their key card and one of them’s a Democrat and one of them’s a Republican.”
For Reed, it was an informative — and enjoyable — experience.
“I would totally do it again,” said Reed, who voted absentee in this year’s election. “It was a very easy way to participate within democracy and do your civic duty without feeling overwhelmed by calling people or door-knocking. It was a very simple way to know that you’re helping.”