SF State students were able to cast their votes on campus, marking the first time the university has had a polling place in 105 years.

The polling place, located in the J.P. Leonard Library in the 24-hour quiet study area, proved to be convenient for campus residents and the general student body because commuters could drop off their absentee ballots and San Francisco residents could provisionally vote.

The polls cleared out three tables in the room, so students were still able to study.

David Strine, the official poll inspector and SF State student, arrived with his staff of three at 6 this morning to set up for the official opening of the polls at 7 a.m.

“There were few people who were conscious in this room at 7 a.m., most students were sleeping on the study tables,” Strine said.

Two of Strine’s polling clerks, Adrian Martinez and Will Anderson are donating their $108 earnings to their SF State fraternity Phi Kappa Tau for a community service project.

Strine said that most of the morning voters were provisional voters and do not live in the 2745 precinct. Provisional San Francisco voters are able to vote at the SF State polling place but votes for candidates and propositions that pertain to neighborhood issues will not count.

There was a bit of confusion this morning at the polling place. Many students came into the library looking to vote for the campus referendums; they were redirected to the outdoor white tents set up by Associated Students Inc.

Lauren Phillips, a French student cast her vote at J.P. Leonard library for democratic candidate Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio. Her polling place is in the Castro but she opted to vote on campus today for convenience.

“It worries me that there was no line to vote here, I would have anticipated more students to be voting,” Phillips said.

Reuben Martinez, a resident of the 2745 precinct said, “It is cool to have voting on campus, it is much easier for me to vote here than at Stonestown.”

Martinez, a member of the Green party voted for Camejo for president, no on prepositions 55 and 56 and yes on prepositions 57 and 58. “It makes me sad when I don’t see more women and Chicanos voting, we once didn’t have the right to vote,” Martinez said. “Hopefully polls like this will encourage other students to vote.”

According to a Jan.26 [X]press article, the administration signed a contract with the San Francisco Department of Elections Friday, Jan. 16 after four years of lobbying by various campus organizations, including the California Faculty Association, Associated Students Inc., San Francisco Urban Institute and the administration.

The Associated Student Inc. president, Natalie Batista, voted this morning on campus. Batista, a Republican voted yes on propositions 57 and 58, and voted for Kerry for president.

“You have to have a polling place on campus. So many people commute here and don’t know what precinct they belong to. This makes voting easier for the students and easier for people who are dropping off their absentee ballots,” she said.

The voter turnout increased as the day progressed. Strine, the poll inspector, said that 35 people had voted by 11:45 this morning. The polling place is using an Optech Eagle III machine to scan the votes.

A city representative will arrive after the poll closes at 8 p.m. to pick up the machine, and the sheriff will come to pick up the paper ballots.