[UA] Election Day

Tue Nov 3 09:11:16 EST 2020

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Good Morning Undergrads,

Undoubtedly, today is an anxiety-filled day for many. We share that anxiety and want to make sure that you feel supported by both the UA and MIT during this time.

In this past year alone, we have been reminded of the countless aspects of student life where the President of the United States can have an impact. From international student visa policies<https://thetech.com/2020/07/08/mit-dhs-ice-lawsuit>, the legality of implicit bias training<https://thetech.com/2020/10/28/bias-workshop-rescheduled-stereotyping-eo>, stances on affirmative action<https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/08/us/yale-discrimination.html> to Title IX regulations<https://thetech.com/2020/05/17/title-ix-changes>, the President and their administration have immense influence over campus issues, as well as many other elements of our personal lives and communities. ?

We encourage you to engage in this year's election and to check out the Why I Vote Campaign<https://www.instagram.com/p/CHGRoccnUJY/>. If you are eligible to vote<https://nl.nytimes.com/f/a/PR7GwcaTpb25vitosQyTGw~~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhg8cDP0SpaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudm90ZS5vcmcvP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTkmZW1jPWVkaXRfbm5fMjAyMDExMDMmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MjM3NDAmbmw9dGhlLW1vcm5pbmcmcmVnaV9pZD05NTA1MDMzMiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTQzMzAwJnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hZGQ4NmI4ZTdhYzkxM2ZhM2ZmMGY3ZmNjYjJkMjkzZVcDbnl0QgoAOgNCoV_ePaoUUhBnZWF0aGVyc0BtaXQuZWR1WAQAAAAA>, we hope that you have either already voted or check for your designated polling place and their operating times<https://ballotpedia.org/State_Poll_Opening_and_Closing_Times_(2020)> as soon as possible. Some states have polling locations that close as early as 6PM ET. You can also check the MITvote website<https://vote.mit.edu/> for more important resources.

If you have any personal questions or run into any issues throughout the day, we have a team that will be on call to help out at election-help at mit.edu<mailto:election-help at mit.edu>.

Whether you are eligible to vote or not, we encourage you to spread information on social media, help mobilize the vote by phone banking, or participate in one of the other actions here<https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/8-ways-you-can-make-a-difference-in-the-election-even-if-you-cant-vote>.

With everything going on in the world at this moment, we all need the space to decompress and grapple with our feelings. It is beyond difficult to be a student in these volatile times and we encourage you to be kind to yourselves. Over the past couple of weeks, the UA has been advocating<https://www.instagram.com/p/CG5vFQdnjNf/> for flexibility and accommodations from professors in recognition of the weight of the election. If you run into any trouble, please let us know through this form<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd9y6Y-H4JbuMAVFASE1sH_8swLZMDyIH2z0hHwkPDnkusXYw/viewform?usp=sf_link>.

There are also several Institute resources and events designed to help you decompress at this time. We encourage you to attend the MIT Shine on the Vote Reboot event<https://studentlife.mit.edu/reboot>, OMP 2020 Election Debrief<https://www.instagram.com/omp.mit/?hl=en>, and other community events. We have also created a page on the UA website<http://ua.mit.edu/support-resources> with Institute-wide support resources.

Despite all of this, we understand the limitations of these resources. Your feelings are valid and all of your problems won't be solved by links to resources or community dialogues. Please do what you can to prioritize your mental health needs<https://www.instagram.com/p/CHGgsH7h74m/> in the upcoming days. Your wellbeing comes first. If you are experiencing undue stress, please do not hesitate to contact S^3<https://studentlife.mit.edu/s3> or MIT Mental Health<https://medical.mit.edu/managing-election-stress>.

Stay safe and don't hesitate to reach out if we can help in any way.

Regards,

Danielle Geathers
She/Her/Hers
President of the Undergraduate Association

Yu Jing Chen
She/Her/Hers
Vice President of the Undergraduate Association

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[Website]?<http://ua.mit.edu/>

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