Thanks to the efforts of several PNWU-COM students, residents of Yakima will now have enhanced access to make their voices heard.
In a collaborative effort with the Yakima County Elections Office, and with the support of staff, students, employees, and the surrounding community, PNWU students recently installed a ballot drop box on PNWU’s health sciences campus. The new drop box aims to further equip the Terrace Heights community with the power to elect leaders of their choice and hold the elected leaders accountable. In fact, our new bright-red ballot box is listed in Yakima’s official voter guide.
When she first saw the email announcing that the campus-based ballot box would be a reality, Student Doctor Israa Alshaikhli, PNWU-COM Class of 2025, “was in tears.” Having helped to bring the idea to life, she reflected on the results of her and her fellow students’ efforts. “I didn’t think it was going to happen this soon,” she said. “It made me very happy, especially now since it is an election year. It’s big!”
Discussions about the possibility of adding a ballot box to campus began about a year ago. Once it was determined that County leaders were on-board, and campus-related logistics and details were determined, Yakima County came to campus to install the box, and PNWU coordinated the cement pouring.
Students say the idea for the ballot box was simply to make things more convenient for the community, including their own PNWU peers.
“I was thinking kind of small,” admitted Student Doctor Ana Chang, PNWU-COM Class of 2026. “I never thought about the impact; that I can leave something that the school can build on.”
Finding the perfect place for the box was a bit of a challenge because it had to be easily accessed via drive through drop off. Director of Facilities and Campus Development Shane Scott helped students explore options and find a solution to keep the project moving forward.
“It comes down to the support of faculty and staff,” said Student Dr. Chang. “They are so supportive of what we talk about.”
As a member of the Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA), an advocacy organization helping to educate and prepare osteopathic leaders and advocates, Student Doctor Katie Wang, PNWU-COM Class of 2026, felt it was incumbent on her to get involved. “Getting more engaged with the community just felt like the right thing to do,” said Student Doctor Wang. “It will bring more people to our campus, get more students involved in our elections process, and increase access to that voting process.”
The new box is ready for the election season and will be fully operational for the presidential elections. Election officials will pick up ballots midway through the election cycle and again the day after the election. PNWU facilities will secure the box at 8 p.m. on election night.