THE DAILY ILLINI
MONDAY April 12, 2021
The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871
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Vol. 150 Issue 48
State law broadens CU voter access, increases ballot drop-off boxes on the Main Quad, directly in front of the Union. “The new locations will increase voter access, especially in less equitable areas where accessing a mailbox might not be possible, like low-opportunity areas,” said Angela Patton, chief deputy clerk of Champaign County. In order to ensure that the voting process is secure and free of fraud, additional security measures will be implemented by the State Board of Elections, according to the text of H.B. 1871. One of these measures is the design of the boxes themselves. The boxes are constructed out of heavy steel, and “all collection sites shall be secured by locks that may be opened only by election security personnel,” a key step in protecting voter information, according to Pritzker. H.B. 1871 was passed in preparation for the elections currently held across Illinois. The Champaign County consolidated general election recently ended last Tuesday, and election results can be found at the Champaign County Clerk’s website. Voters can expect mail-in voting and curbside drop-off to be a part of Illinois elections in the future. “With H.B. 1871, more people will have the access they need to go vote, which is really important in ensuring our elections are healthy and represent our county,” Patton said.
BY ALEX CHANG STAFF WRITER
ELIANA CHANDRA THE DAILY ILLINI
University students exit the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District 120 Teal bus outside of the PAR dorm on Saturday. CUMTD will release two hydrogen fuel buses this fall to cut down on carbon emissions.
CUMTD transitions to hydrogen fuel BY PAYAL RATHORE STAFF WRITER
The Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District has ordered two hydrogen fuel cell electric buses, which will be in service this fall in order to curb carbon emissions. This change has been made because the new buses do not produce tailpipe emissions. These buses have a comparable range to the current fleet, which is diesel and diesel-electric hybrid, and are also quieter than the current buses. “Hydrogen buses can be used in service much longer, and you don’t need as many compared to batteryelectric buses which need to be stopped and charged frequently,” said Timothy
Lindsey, senior advisor to the University’s Smart Energy Design Assistance Center. Most battery-electric buses are charged off the grid, leaving a carbon footprint, while the hydrogen fuel cell electric buses can produce the fuel with 100% renewable power. This stems from the fact that hydrogen can be produced anywhere with electricity and water available, using a process called electrolysis : An electric current is used to split hydrogen from oxygen. “The hydrogen fuel cell electric buses have a close cost parity with diesel,” Lindsey said, who estimates that the cost of electrolysis should plummet
over the next 10 years. The electric vehicle uses compressed hydrogen as an energy source. The bus has a fuel cell that acts as a continuous battery charger to extend the range of the vehicle. “Yes, MTD strives to reduce our environmental impact, including fossil fuel consumption and vehicle emissions,” said Jane Sullivan, CUMTD director of Grants & Governmental Affairs Director of CUMTD. Sullivan added that the only output from the tailpipe is water vapor that is clean enough to drink. Hydrogen has been deemed as a potential source to meet energy requirements while curb-
ing carbon emissions, according to Lindsey. Apart from being used as a fuel cell, it can be used with oxygen from the atmosphere as a source of heat or as a source of power for a combustion engine. Either way, water vapor is the only emission produced. The MTD will continue purchasing diesel-electric hybrid buses. “In the near term, we will have a fleet mixed with both hydrogen and hybrid buses,” said Sullivan in an email. “There is also potential of adding battery-electric buses and renewable natural gas to the fleet in the future.”
Voters in Champaign County now have more access to ballot drop-off locations thanks to the passage of a new state law funding installations of new boxes. House Bill 1871, signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, authorizes the state to use funds for the creation of additional drop boxes for ballots, expanding the current system of ballot boxes around the county. Specifically, these new ballot boxes are designed to be permanent installations, compared to the temporary drop boxes during election week. The new law goes into effect immediately. Additionally, H.B. 1871 also authorizes curbside drop-offs for ballots in all future elections, expanding the right for all Illinois citizens to vote from their vehicles and deliver their ballots to workers at designated sites. Previously, only voters with qualified disabilities were allowed to use curbside drop-off voting. “By making ballot drop boxes and curbside voting permanent features of our elections, we’re ensuring that all voters can access the ballot, especially our most vulnerable residents who may face barriers to voting in person,” Pritzker said in a news release. A list of ballot boxes in the Champaign-Urbana area can be found on the Champaign County Clerk’s website. The closest drop box to alexrc2@dailyillini.com the University can be found
payalr2@dailyillini.com
University provides nasal swab testing for Ramadan BY ALIZA MAJID ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
RYAN ASH THE DAILY ILLINI
A Champaign County ballot drop box sits outside the Illini Union on Oct. 4. Champaign County voters now have access to more ballot drop boxes after Gov. J.B. Pritzker passed House Bill 1871 to fund their installation.
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ABE BAALI THE DAILY ILLINI
The Central Illinois Mosque & Islamic Center sits quietly at 106 S. Lincoln Ave. in Urbana on Saturday. The University is providing nasal swabs for individuals who partake in Ramadan in case fasting causes difficulties in saliva production.
alternative that they can use,” Khatib said. Students and faculty will have to request alternative testing and schedule an appointment in order to proceed with the nasal swab testing. Students can call the McKinley Health Center at 217-244-5661 and
state they are requesting nasal swab testing for religious reasons to schedule an appointment. Faculty and staff will have to call the Office for Access and Equity at 217-333-0885 or request accommodations through their website.
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The University has announced a nasal swab alternative option that Muslims can request during the month of Ramadan. Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar and will take place from April 12 to May 12. Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset and devote themselves to reflection and contemplation during this holy month. “The University wanted to ensure that those fasting had an alternative option to saliva testing in case fasting associated with Ramadan caused potential barriers to participating in saliva testing because fasting could potentially interfere with the ability to produce saliva in quantities required for the COVID-19 testing,” said Allison Kushner, director of the ADA division of the office for Access & Equity, in an email.
This process will be available to individuals throughout the month of Ramadan and should be requested in order to make an appointment for proper accommodations. “It’s very impressive of the University to offer that because it’s not just giving another option for COVID-19, but I feel like it speaks on bigger terms and on larger mindsets that the University is showing kind of unity with the Muslim community on campus,” said Amani Khatib, a Muslim and sophomore in AHS. The information has not been shared outside of the “COVID-19 On-campus testing” section on the University’s website, which is why some students may not be aware of this alternative. “I do think they need to make it a little more known in a way and get more exposure about it, just so more students on campus are acknowledging that is a resource and that is an
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