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Contact UsThe mission of the Office of Facilities & Economic Development is to support the growth and success of UT Dallas. Service is not what we do, Service is who we are.
Rewind: Preparing for Election Day 2020
December 8, 2020
In our most recent national election, The University of Texas at Dallas hosted polling places for voters from two different counties. Callier Center Richardson served as the polling place for Collin County voters while the UTD Visitor Center atrium served voters from Dallas County. Staff from our Parking & Transportation and Custodial teams worked hard to ensure that voting went smoothly and that voters stayed safe despite the ongoing pandemic.
A sign guiding voters to one of the two campus polling places, in front of a COVID-19 safety sign. A UTD golf cart sits ready across the street.
A lot of the work for Parking & Transportation was pre-election preparation and planning. Previous campus elections served as good “trial runs” for the general election on November 3. As early as September, discussions were held to ensure that voters could be allocated enough parking spaces near the polls, and that strategically placed signage would direct people from two different counties to their correct polling places. Two weeks before, our sign inventory was reviewed to make sure we had enough of the right signs to support our plan for guiding voters. One week before, affected departments were contacted again, to ensure that no last-minute programming changes at the University would have an impact on the plan. The day before the election, signs and barricades were erected. Golf carts were charged up and delivered to the staff of the Office of the Vice President for Public Affairs, so they could quickly shuttle between polling places.
A custodial staff member in PPE [Personal Protective Equipment] next to one of the many campus hand sanitizer stations, cleaning the entrance to Callier Center Richardson.
UT Dallas Custodial staff have had a lot of practice deep-cleaning and sterilizing our facilities since COVID-19 was first reported in Texas. One day before the election, they once again donned their PPE [Personal Protective Equipment] and gave both polling locations a through cleansing. Every surface from furniture to bathroom fixtures was sterilized, with special attention paid to “high contact” surfaces such as door handles.
On election day, Parking & Transportation staff directed voters, kept an eye out for disruptions or electioneering guideline violations that required reporting to the Office of the Vice President for Public Affairs, and stayed ready to open additional parking or assist with any last-minute changes.