Congressional candidate Patricia Kemp said USF is engaging in “voter suppression” after her campaigning staff was told they had to leave campus by 5 p.m. on Tuesday. 

Kemp said she was told by Dean of Students Danielle McDonald and Marshall Student Center (MSC) Director Matt Marshall that the organizers would have to vacate the area outside the MSC after business hours due to the university’s policy. 

“There should be a right for anyone to campaign on campus,” Kemp said. “When you do this to a polling place, that’s a form of voter suppression.”

Kemp, a Democratic candidate, is running for a congressional seat in Florida’s 15th district in the U.S. House of Representatives. The district includes areas of Hillsborough, Pasco and Polk counties. 

Kemp, who is a Hillsborough County Commissioner representing District 6, is facing off with Republican incumbent Laurel Lee.

The university’s regulation says activities between 5 p.m. and 12 a.m. in a public space need a reservation.

Public spaces are considered “areas open to the general public and not used for academic purposes,” according to the policy. 

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USF spokesperson Ryan Hughes said the university’s policy has an exception to comply with state and local laws. He said “campaigning related to the election is permitted until polls close at 7 p.m.”

At the time of publication, Hughes did not answer a clarification on why Kemp’s staff was told to vacate the area if campaigning is allowed until polls close. 

“USF staff have been working with individuals or groups campaigning on campus by maintaining a dialogue to ensure they can continue while balancing compliance with university policies, the state’s election code and the law,” Hughes said.

Nick Biscardi, a staffer with Kemp’s campaign, said the organizers set up a table earlier in the morning but had to take it down after administration told them they’d need a reservation for it.  

Under the policy, displays, tables and exhibits also need prior approval through a reservation.

Related: Protesters at USF need pre-approval to gather with amplified sound and displays 

Biscardi said the campaign workers have tabled on campus for about two weeks before Election Day but were never told they’d need a reservation.

Kemp said she didn’t know about USF’s reservation policies beforehand.

“We’re not even assembling because we don’t even have a table,” Kemp said. “You’re saying that anyone here can’t walk down the sidewalk and pass out stuff to people because of their time, place and manner. That’s a misuse and abuse of that.”

Kemp was also concerned with where the no-solicitation zone was placed outside the Marshall Student Center.

Florida Statutes say “no person, political committee, or other group or organization may solicit voters inside the polling place or within 150 feet of a secure ballot intake station or the entrance to any polling place.”

The no solicitation line was placed 150 feet away from the door to the MSC, rather than 150 feet from the entrance to the room where voters could cast their ballot on the third floor.

“It really should not be out here and USF could easily make another space closer to the door,” Kemp said.

Gerri Kramer, a spokesperson for the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Office, said the no-solicitation line is drawn by the county’s poll workers.

She said the statute regarding the solicitation line is talking about the “exterior entrance.”

“If the Marshall Center was saying that campaigning couldn’t take place outside that 150 feet, that would be in violation,” Kramer said. “They’re not the ones that establish the line. We do.”

Kramer said there is no voter suppression on campus. She said people’s concerns have to do with “campaigning,” rather than voting.

“This is not in any way voter suppression,” Kramer said. “Voters are able to come into the USF location and vote.”

Kemp said she was also concerned about a lack of signage pointing voters to where they could find the polling location. The polling place on campus is in room 3707 in the MSC.

“It takes forever to get there, and when I came this morning, there was not signage to even get there,” Kemp said.

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Ariana Roman, a junior political science major, was campaigning in favor of Amendments 3 and 4 outside the MSC. She said that when she first got to campus at 9 a.m., there were not enough signs to help voters find the polling location.

“When I walked inside, I was completely lost,” Roman said. “I saw a bunch of organizations tables and I saw a bunch of stuff for Homecoming Week, but I didn’t see any signs that said anything about where to go to vote.”

Roman said the only signs she saw were one outside the MSC’s entrance saying it was a voting precinct and one at the entrance of the polling location outside room 3707. She said she talked to MSC staff about the signs, who later “agreed” to put some more up.

Kramer said she did hear concerns about the lack of signage. However, she said the issues were resolved between USF and the Supervisor of Elections Office. 

She said there was a miscommunication between the office and staff from the MSC on which signs could be put up in the building. 

University policy says “signage must be approved before posting except as legally required for by federal or state guideline with regard to official polling places.”

“We want USF students to vote,” Kramer said.”We’re trying to make sure that they can and that they know where to go.”