"I'm a supporter of grapes, as a lot of people are," he added, "and I just wanted to have a chance to voice my opinion through a vote, just like any other student."
Students may ask dining hall managers for absentee ballot forms after 4 p.m. today, said McNitt. They must return the completed absentee ballots to a dining hall manager by 1 p.m. tomorrow to be counted in the final vote, she added.
The decision to offer absentee ballots was made early this week, said McNitt.
"We're hustling to get it done," she said.
HDS is taking several preventive measures to reduce the possibility of election fraud.
Although HDS has made efforts to present position papers from both the progrape and anti-grape sides, literature from one side has been deliberately stolen from several dining halls, possibly to prevent students from reading both perspectives, McNitt said.
The perpetrators have not yet been identified.
To prevent students from voting twice, HDS will record the ID numbers of students who submit absentee ballots. Those students will not be permitted to vote again on Friday.