There are too many people today who are unaware of the voting rules when it comes to election day. It is not complicated. You just need to be prepared. Voting is your civic duty. Now, more than ever, it is crucial that you let your voice be heard. Too many people have a strong political opinion, but not enough people take three minutes out of their day to actually make a difference. These are the things you need to know before you vote:
Register to vote:
Most DMVs register you when you get your driver's license. You are then registered in your individual state. If you are unsure if you ever registered, you can check your status online. States' websites are listed at the bottom of this article. You'll just need your name, social security number, street address etc. If you are registered, awesome! Get out there and vote!
If not, that's OK!
You may be able to apply to register to vote in person at the following public facilities:
- State or local voter registration and/or election offices
- The department of motor vehicles
- Public assistance agencies
- Armed service recruitment centers
- State-funded programs that serve people with disabilities
- Any public facility that a state has designated as a voter registration agency
There are deadlines to register! You must do it in time or you will unable to vote in the upcoming election! (Usually at least 30 days before election)
If you change address:
Even if you move down the street, you must change your address on your voting registration. This applies to people who move within the same state, college students who move to an apartment off campus, and especially those who change states. Every street address in the United States is assigned to a particular polling location. If you move, chances are your polling location moved too. The good news is, you can change your address online in most cases if you stay within the same state! It does take a few days, so this is not an adjustment you can make at the last minute. If you change states, make sure you register to vote while you change your driver's license. Don't have a car? That's fine! Register at any of the locations above!
Please remember that these things have deadlines! Apply and change your information as soon as possible! Make your voice heard!
Where to vote:
Like mentioned before, every street address is assigned to a specific polling location. Locations are usually very close to the individual address. If you don't have a car, then walking is usually very possible. When you check your voting information online, your assigned polling place will appear. It's also on your voting registration card. Polling places are usually government buildings like public schools, court houses, etc.
For College Students:
Most colleges let you register to vote on move-in day. If you ever had a "welcome week" of sorts, there's a good chance you've already registered.
What if you don't remember? That's OK, the good news is that most states allow you to look up your voting information online. All you have to do is enter your name, social security, and city, etc, and it will tell you if you're registered or not. If you are, awesome! Your voting location is usually just a quick walk from campus.
If you are not registered, there are a few things you can do. First, you may change your address and register to vote in your new state. Student Services will walk you through the steps, or you can visit any of the locations stated above.
If your "home town" is a quick drive away, you can always drive back and vote there. Just make sure you're registered with your parents' address!
If you're not registered in your school's state and if you can't drive home to vote, there is something called an...
Absentee Ballot:
You can mail in your vote to your home state! Absentee Ballots must be mailed well before the actual election day. Each state has a different deadline, so be sure you look it up!
Contact your state/territorial election office to receive your ballot. Some states are very particular about who they allow absentee ballots to. Check your individual state's rules on their website.
Even if you are away from home on election day, you can still vote! So do it!
What you bring with you:
Most states now require you to show a government issued identification to prove your identity before you can enter the voting booth. Go to (http://www.866ourvote.org/state) and select your state to find out specifics.
Are you eligible?
You can vote in the U.S. if:
You are a U.S. citizen.
You meet your state's residency requirements.
You are 18 years old. Some states allow 17-year-olds to vote in primaries and/or register to vote if they will be 18 before the general election.
There is so much more information you can find by just searching the internet. Information is at your fingertips so there is no excuse on being ill-informed. There is a lot a scary things happening this election season. You can make a difference in the outcome by just taking a few minutes to press a "VOTE" button. Some states have already held their primary, but the majority have not. There is still time to change lives. Please, register. If your state has already voted, you still need to prepare for the next upcoming election:
Presidential Election is November 8, 2016
It's time to start preparing! Check your voting status, know where your location is, and most importantly: know who you are voting for. Spread love, spread peace, and please vote for someone who will keep America the Land of Opportunity. For everyone.
Think your vote doesn't matter? Here are the polling results for a city in Massachusetts during this current primary:
Every. Vote. Matters.
Please don't sit back and let someone else determine the fate of our country.
For more general voting information go to:
Individual State Information:
Alabama: https://www.alabamavotes.gov/
Alaska: https://www.elections.alaska.gov/
Arizona: http://www.arizona.vote/
Arkansas: http://www.sos.arkansas.gov/elections/pages/voterr...
California: http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/v...
Colorado: http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/vote/Vot...
Connecticut: http://www.ct.gov/sots/cwp/view.asp?q=525432
Delaware: https://ivote.de.gov/
District Of Columbia: https://www.dcvote.org/
Florida: http://dos.myflorida.com/elections/for-voters/
Georgia: https://www.mvp.sos.ga.gov/MVP/mvp.do
Hawaii: http://elections.hawaii.gov/
Idaho: http://www.idahovotes.gov/
Illinois: https://www.elections.il.gov/infoforvoters.aspx
Indiana: https://indianavoters.in.gov/PublicSite/PublicMain...
Iowa: https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/voterinformation/vo...
Kansas: http://www.voteks.org/
Kentucky: http://elect.ky.gov/Pages/default.aspx
Louisiana: https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/
Maine: http://www.maine.gov/portal/government/edemocracy/...
Maryland: http://www.elections.state.md.us/voting/
Massachusetts: https://www.sec.state.ma.us/VoterRegistrationSearc...
Michigan: https://vote.michigan.gov/MVIC/
Minnesota: https://mnvotes.sos.state.mn.us/voterregistration/...
Mississippi: http://www.sos.ms.gov/elections-voting/Pages/defau...
Missouri: http://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/govotemissouri
Montana: http://sos.mt.gov/ELECTIONS/Vote/index.asp
Nebraska: https://www.nebraska.gov/apps-sos-voter-registrati...
Nevada: https://nvsos.gov/sosvoterservices/Registration/st...
New Hampshire: http://sos.nh.gov/Elections.aspx
New Jersey: http://www.nj.gov/state/elections/voting-informati...
New Mexico: http://www.sos.state.nm.us/Voter_Information/
New York: http://www.elections.ny.gov/VotingRegister.html
North Dakota: https://vip.sos.nd.gov/PortalList.aspx
North Carolina: https://www.ncsbe.gov/registering-to-vote
Ohio: https://ohio.gov/government/elections/
Oklahoma: https://www.ok.gov/elections/
Oregon: http://sos.oregon.gov/voting/Pages/voteinor.aspx
Pennsylvania: http://www.votespa.com/portal/server.pt/community/...
Rhode Island: http://sos.ri.gov/divisions/elections
South Carolina: http://www.scvotes.org/
South Dakota: https://sdsos.gov/elections-voting/
Tennessee: http://sos.tn.gov/elections
Texas: http://www.votetexas.gov/
Utah: http://vote.utah.gov/vote/menu/index
Vermont: https://www.sec.state.vt.us/elections/voters/regis...
Virginia: http://elections.virginia.gov/
Washington: https://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/myvote/
West Virginia: http://www.sos.wv.gov/elections/pages/default.aspx
Wisconsin: https://myvote.wi.gov/
Wyoming: http://soswy.state.wy.us/elections/registeringtovo...
Were any of your questions not answered? Probably. I'm just a college student with a passion for democracy. Everything you need to know a click away. If you can read this, you can just as easily search for your own answers. There is no excuse not to vote. It's your right. It's your responsibility.
See you at the polls.
