Greensboro's African American Community Newspaper since 1967
Students at North Carolina A&T State University are leading a renewed effort to advocate for the reinstatement of an early voting site on their campus.
On Friday, January 23, the student-led “Protect Ours” movement held a press conference at the Beloved Community Center on Arlington Street in Greensboro to address the media and community members about the removal of the campus polling site and its impact on student voters. During the event, student leaders outlined their concerns and shared next steps, including continued public advocacy, community engagement, and fundraising to provide shuttle transportation to off-campus polling locations.
The movement was galvanized by decisions from both the Guilford County Board of Elections and the N.C. State Board of Elections to remove the early voting site from the A&T campus. Many students view the decision as a direct barrier to their ability to participate in elections.
The press conference was led by T. Olu Rouse, a junior majoring in economics, political science, and mathematics; and Shia Rozier, a junior public relations major. Both students are members of the campus Civic Engagement Coalition and have been central figures in the organizing efforts.
“We recognize that this is not the first time that A&T students have faced this challenge,” Rouse said. “But students should not have to protest and re-litigate every election cycle just to vote on our campuses and have access to the polls.”
Since 2004, the N.C. A&T site has been a polling site for presidential general elections, according to data provided by Guilford County Elections department. A University of North Carolina at Greensboro site was added in 2012. The county board added both campus sites to presidential primary early voting plans in 2020. However, neither site has ever been used during midterm or municipal election cycles as early voting sites.
On November 18, 2025, more than 60 students from N.C. A&T and UNC Greensboro attended a Guilford County Board of Elections meeting where the board voted to remove early voting sites from both campuses for the primary elections. Students later brought their concerns to the State Board of Elections during a meeting on January 13, 2026 in Raleigh. Organizers said the actions demonstrate students’ commitment to civic engagement and their determination to protect voting access.
The students branded their advocacy effort as “Protect Ours” to distinguish it from the university’s official position. Organizers emphasized that the movement is student-led and does not represent the views of North Carolina A&T State University as an institution. Instead, the group says it represents students who feel disenfranchised by the removal of the polling site.
N.C. A&T serves a large and diverse voting population, including more than 2,500 on-campus residents, a student body of more than 15,000 students, and more than 2,300 faculty and staff members. Surrounding neighborhoods have also historically utilized the campus polling site.
“When an early voting site is removed from a neighborhood or community, voters may be able to shift to another precinct,” Rozier said. “But for thousands of college students—many without cars, flexible schedules, or extra transportation money—those votes do not simply transfer elsewhere. In many cases, those votes disappear entirely. That is why on-campus voting is not just a convenience, but a critical access point.”
In response, the group is raising funds and partnering with local organizations to provide shuttle transportation to the Guilford County Courthouse polling site in downtown Greensboro for primary voting. Organizers said they have been in contact with Charter Us, a transportation service that would cost approximately $1,500 per day for five days to operate shuttles from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The group has set a fundraising goal of $5,000 and said any assistance from the community is welcome.
While the Greensboro City Council does not have a say in voting or polling sites, at-large Council member Irving Allen noted that in the last election, rides to the polls were offered by city buses.
“We (the city) have access to vehicles that I hope we can make accessible to the students. I hope we can do better at making that widely known. I absolutely support everything the students are doing,” said Allen.
In a public statement, “Protect Ours” criticized State Board of Elections Chair Francis X. DeLuca, along with board members Stacy Eggers IV and Robert Rucho, who voted to uphold the Guilford County Board of Elections’ plan. The students also alleged that Republican members of the board mocked and minimized student advocacy and said DeLuca threatened to call Capitol Police during the January meeting.
The group has planned a march on February 12 from the February One monument on A&T’s campus to the Old County Courthouse early voting site. Organizers also announced plans to canvas and conduct phone banking efforts in March and April to build community support for restoring the campus polling site ahead of the November midterm elections.
“We will be casting our vote despite the situation,” Rouse said. “We want the community to join us to show that this is not just a student issue. This is a community issue.”
“Protect Ours” has also called on students at other North Carolina campuses, including Western Carolina University, Elon University, UNC Charlotte, and NC State University, to mobilize in support of preserving or restoring early voting sites on those campuses as well.
“If our vote was not powerful, then the powers that be would not work this hard to suppress it,” Rouse said.
The link to donate to “Protect Ours” is: www.johnlewisyoungleaders.funraise.org/fundraiser/protect-ours
