A group of Castleton University students, including several reporters for The Spartan, headed to the polls on Nov. 3 to cover election day reports through the collaborative “Community News” initiative in partnership with The University of Vermont.
Nearly 10 Castleton students were on standby at polling sites across Vermont beginning at 7 a.m., including South Burlington, Rutland, Fair Haven, Castleton, Bennington, and Salisbury. The students were charged with reporting updates regarding the election and talking to voters, particularly about what influenced their decision to vote in-person despite mail-in ballots being sent to all registered voters this year due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
The Community News Service initiative was started in 2019 by The University of Vermont with the goal of training and educating student journalists and providing high-quality local content to Vermont’s community newspapers. The program pairs student reporters with professional editors to provide content at no cost.
St. Michael’s College and Community College of Vermont also participated in Community News Service’s election day coverage.
In addition to students, many Castleton staff and faculty members volunteered to work the polls.
Read more about Castleton’s partnership with Community News Service