Student dodges early voting

University students go to vote early en masses. Everyone has a reason: some get an extra day off and go visit relatives in the village; some were asked by their professor-in-charge; some do so under threat of being evicted from the dormitory.

Euroradio decided to find a 'hero' who has defied pressure and decided to vote on Election Day. Here she is: Volha, BSU student who shares her trick. She lives in a dormitory but she gets back there when the polling station is already closed.

Euroradio: Did you fear they would evict you from the dormitory over your refusal to vote early?

Volha: I don't want to vote early. I was not really put under pressure. They were just kind of interested like: hey, young lady, hold on, when are going to vote? They were surprised when I told them I was going to vote on October 11.

Euroradio: Did you sort of ask the administration to leave you alone?

Volha: No. My trick is that I try to come to the dormitory when there is a lunch break at the polling station or when it has already closed. In other words, I try to make sure they leave me alone.

Euroradio: Have you avoided problems yet?

Volha: Personally, I have not run into trouble. They did not threaten me. However, they would grab other students near the polling station in the dormitory. I also know that the dean is going to gather the sophomores for a meeting because very few have voted so far. My groupmate was quite insistenly recommended to go and vote early when he said he planned to cast his ballot on Election Day. The administration of the dormiatory made it clear to him that he still had one year to live in this dorm.

Euroradio: Can you specify who exactly forces students to vote in dormitories?

Volha: When students leave the building of the dormitory, they come across the head of the dormitory. She is sitting at the reception at this very moment.

Photo: Euroradio