Melissa Gilligan, Radford University, VA

Radford University freshman Melissa Gilligan is registered to vote in her home town of Starling in Northern Virginia some five hours away.  Ms. Gilligan, who is pursuing a career in elementary education, registered to vote as a senior in high school through her history class.  A representative from the Registrar’s office helped students move through the process, and a registration card was mailed to her home.  

As a matter of practicality Ms. Gilligan will have a somewhat difficult time casting her vote.  Because Radford does not allow students time from class to vote, she will have to miss two scheduled classes to make the trip north.  In addition, Virginia has a very early registration deadline, making it easy to miss, especially for students still adjusting to their first year in college.  She feels that voting in Radford would have greatly simplified the process.

In spite of the logistic difficulties, Ms. Gilligan plans to vote, though she has yet to decide on a preferred candidate.  She identifies this election as the most heated and controversial of her life and her family is torn with her mother supporting McCain and her brother favoring Obama.  Ms. Gilligan is concerned both with the state of the nation and security issues, arguing that this is a time to vote for a president that will bring about change.