With fewer UF students on campus for class, those students who are still on campus can hitch a ride to the polls Florida style: a golf cart courtesy of the University of Florida’s Hillel organization. Yes, UF students can get a free ride to the polls at the Reitz Union thanks to UF Hillel. Hillel International, a worldwide Jewish campus organization, launched an education effort to get more students involved with voting, registering to vote, how/where to vote and how to get them to the polls. “It’s a very Floridian kind of thing,” said Rabbi Jonah Zinn, executive director of UF Hillel. “I think we were brainstorming how we could mobilize more students, and this came up as a COVID-friendly option that would create some excitement.” The pandemic made them rethink how of getting students to the polls safely. “We’re trying to remove barriers to early voting by giving students a lift to the polls.” Zinn said. The Mitzvote program is a non-partisan campaign that aims at getting college students to vote, and to vote early. They have a fleet of golf carts to transport students to and from the Reitz Union throughout the duration of early voting. This is nothing new to UF, UF Hillel has been offering students rides to Reitz Union polling location for years now. “The idea is to mobilize students to get out and vote early, to educate students about the opportunity, and finally to reduce barriers towards early voting by creating a way to get people to the polls more easily in a COVID friendly way,” Zinn said. Masks are required per rider, and must be worn the duration of the ride. There is a limit to six people per golf cart. UF Hillel has already given over 100 free rides to students already. The MitzVote Mobiles circulate two routes every 20 minutes or so, Monday through Friday from 11:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. The west campus route stops at Fraternity Row between Village Drive & Fraternity Drive, in front of the Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity, on Stadium road, west of the entrance to Gator Dining, & the Reitz Student Union Early Voting Precinct. The east campus route stops include the corner of West Panhellenic Drive & Southwest Ninth Avenue, the corner of East Panhellenic Drive and Southwest 11th street, the back of Broward Dining near the Broward Pool, & the Reitz Student Union Early Voting Precinct.
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