Hampton University students, faculty and alumni packed the City Council chambers Wednesday to voice support of an ordinance to establish a new voting precinct on the university’s campus. Hampton City Council unanimously voted to approve the ordinance to a round of applause.
The new precinct would split the existing East Hampton precinct, which encompasses more than 4,200 registered voters who vote at Phoebus High School, to add a polling place inside Hampton University’s Convocation Center.
State law requires each precinct have a polling place within a mile of the precinct inside it with between 500 and 5,000 registered voters. With the change, East Hampton would retain roughly 2,200 voters, while Hampton University would have roughly 2,000 voters in the new precinct.
Deputy City Attorney Angela King told council members the change will help make Election Day easier for both voters and election administrators.
“The reasoning for these proposed amendments is to ease voter access by reducing travel times to the polling place location in light of both distance and traffic considerations, and to improve election administration overall by reducing congestion and wait times,” King said.
Del. Jeion Ward, a Democrat who represents Virginia House District 87, said polling precincts are made intentionally, and Hampton University students’ enthusiasm for voting should be encouraged with a convenient polling location rather than face unnecessary barriers.
“A new polling location will correct the longstanding inequity and bring voting access back to the community most affected,” Ward said.
Del.-elect Virgil Thornton Sr., who will represent Virginia’s 86th District, added limiting people’s options to vote also limits their ability to express their right to vote.
“If we have that opportunity to vote, but we can’t get to that location, what good is that opportunity?” said Thornton, a Democrat who will take office next month. “Putting this precinct on Hampton University campus will give us that opportunity.”
Hampton NAACP First Vice President Lance Jones told council the move is a win for Hampton University students that increases voter accessibility to a campus that has struggled to ensure students can easily get to the polls.
“Providing voting access to students not only increases civic engagement, but also fosters a sense of community responsibility,” Jones said.
University students overwhelmed Phoebus High School in last year’s presidential election, despite additional staff on site. Nearly 600 votes completed same-day registration, with some waiting nearly three hours to get registered.
Other issues like receiving mail-in ballots for out-of-state students and a 40-minute walk from Hampton University to Phoebus High School have also been challenges for voters. The university arranged for buses to transport students to the polling location and excused absences for voters.
College and university students are protected against voter disenfranchisement by a 1979 Supreme Court decision. Hampton University will now join other campuses across the commonwealth, including Old Dominion University, William & Mary and the University of Virginia in having a polling location near campus.
Hampton University President Darrell Williams said things like long lines and a lack of transportation particularly discourages young voters, and that’s not what he wants for his students.
“Establishing a precinct at Hampton University is not merely a matter of convenience, it is a critical step forward in ensuring that every single eligible voter has a fair and equal opportunity to vote,” Williams said. “I am here tonight to lend the full weight of the office of president to the execution of this initiative.”
Sophomore Kevin Jones is one of those students, and said he’s one of hundreds of Hampton University students who want to play a larger role in Hampton’s civic process.
“We want to vote. We want to serve, and we want to help shape Hampton’s future,” Jones said.
With the approval, the city will request a “certificate of no objection” to the Virginia Office of the Attorney General, including the reasoning for the change and information on the changing locations. If approved, notices will be sent to affected voters, and changes will be implemented at least 60 days prior to the 2026 general election.
Devlin Epding, 757-510-4037, [email protected]