On Monday, Oct. 20 and Tuesday, Oct. 21, UMaine hosted a special early voting service for the students at UMaine. From 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on both days, a shuttle service was made available to drive students from the Memorial Union Circle to the Orono Town Office to cast their votes in the race for governor and in a seven-question referendum election.

UVote is a program put on by University of Maine Student Life. The goal of the group is to encourage students to get involved in the election and legislation process. In addition to last week’s early vote service, they hold student registration drives, and provide resources and information for students to get involved. On election day, Nov. 4, they will provide resident students the opportunity to vote on campus.

In addition to voting for Maine’s next governor, students voted on seven questions affecting the state of Maine. Questions mostly regarded the borrowing of bonds for different programs, research, and services in the state of Maine. One of the bonds, in the amount of $8,000, would create an animal and plant disease and insect control laboratory for the purposes of studying the effects of mosquitos, ticks and bed bugs on people.

Another question, the only one that wasn’t bond-related, was about the issue of bear baiting, and asked voters to enact legislation that would prohibit the use of bait, dogs or traps to hunt bears. According to Maine.gov, baiting and similar practices are allowed only in special circumstances, including for “certain scientific and research purposes, or for state or federal employees when necessary to hunt or capture a specific offending bear that threatens livestock, domestic animals, threatened or endangered wildlife, or public safety.”

Kyle Bailey and Greg Lirot are two students who used the shuttle service to vote. Lirot is a third year Business Management student originally from Connecticut, and Bailey is a third-year Mechanical Engineer from southern Maine.

Lirot was surprised about the controversy around the bear baiting issue.

“I don’t see what the controversy is,” he said. “Everyone I’ve talked to in environmental management and everything I’ve read makes me think it’s not a big deal — bear populations are increasing,” he continued.

Bailey expressed interest in the bond questions, especially question two, which many believe will benefit Maine agriculture.

“Whatever helps with the agriculture side of things, I want to boost that. There are lots of farms here, in northern Maine especially,” the third-year said.

Ryan Lopes, a business management sophomore student, believes voting is one’s civic duty.

“I just wanted to make sure my opinion is recorded,” he said.

Joseph Marquis is another student who sees voting as important for UMaine.

“I vote to be informed, and to get my voice heard,” he said. “The process can seem invisible, but the issues directly affect our lives.”

Marquis did not vote with the early vote service, but he plans to vote at the general election on Nov. 4.

Sam Perez, a fourth-year Environmental Studies and Ecology student, helped spread the word about the early vote for students. For the two days the service was offered, she held signs and talked to students about the importance of voting.

“This is a super important election year. Maine’s future is in our hands and the vote is going to be really close. Every vote counts,” she said.

Her goal with UVote, added Perez, has been to inform students that they can vote early in case they are busy on election day.

Despite the service’s ambitions, things didn’t go as expected. According to the Orono Town Office, roughly 1,500 registered student cards were on file at the Town Office, but voter attendance at the event was not high.

Donna Emerson, town clerk at the office, said the office was prepared for about 400 students to show up on each of the two days. However, less than a quarter of that number actually came on both days combined.

Expecting large numbers, Emerson had hired people to assist students who hadn’t yet registered to vote, but found after the first day that they weren’t needed. Voting booths were also set up in a large room on the second floor of the building, but after less than thirty students showed up, the staff decided to move the event to the main office downstairs.

“Perhaps these particular issues aren’t grabbing the attention of students,” Emerson said when asked why she thought so few showed up.

She also pointed out, though, that many choose to fill out an absentee ballot, which can be sent in the mail and filled out from home. Absentee ballots can be requested by phone or online, although not by email due to issues with privacy.

“We check our phones and computers daily for these requests,” she added.

Voting for the general public takes place on Nov. 4.