Boston University students living in on-campus housing areas reported delays with their absentee ballots following the 2024 Presidential Election, while others never received their ballots.
BU Spokesperson Colin Riley wrote in an email to The Daily Free Press that all ballots received by the mailrooms were processed as packages, and students were notified of them via email.
“[The mailroom staff] are not aware of any delay in processing or mishandling of ballots,” Riley wrote.
Owen Boyd, a graduate student employed part-time at the mailroom, said the West Campus mailroom has been receiving absentee ballots since October.
Boyd said the mailroom has a designated ballot box, where employees must sign and account for each absentee ballot.
“I think the delay is mostly due to just simply the number of packages that we receive,” Boyd said. “It’s a lot to account for.”
Boyd said no students have brought to his attention any delays to their absentee ballots.
Sophomore Paige Jalosinski said her absentee ballot was delayed in arriving and then lost in the West Campus mailroom. She said the ballot was eventually found in early November, but this resulted in a delay in her ballot being mailed back to Pennsylvania, where she voted.
“It’s really frustrating, especially because it is my first time voting,” Jalosinski said. “It makes me kind of regret not thinking about just flying home on Tuesday just to vote.”
Jalosinski said although she does not think her vote alone would have changed the election, the delay was still frustrating.
“Being in a swing state, that was really important to me,” Jalosinski said. “It makes me wonder if anything would have changed.”
Difficulties with absentee ballots were not only present within the West Campus mailrooms.
Freshman Melissa Ramirez, who lives in Warren Towers, said her ballot was lost in the mail.
“I asked for it three to four weeks prior to the election, and I never received it,” said Ramirez, who is from Texas.
When she called her ballot office, she said they told her it was too late to send her another absentee ballot anymore because it would not arrive on time.
“Especially since I’m a first generation student and this was supposed to be my first time voting, I’m kind of disappointed,” Ramirez said.