4 Common Questions About How to Vote in College

With so much else to juggle while in college, you may not have thought much about how to vote. Even if its your first election or going to school means you live in a different state, figuring out how to vote in college can be relatively simple.  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Ã¢â‚¬â€¹ I Live in One State but Go to School in Another. Where Do I Vote? You can be a resident of two states, but you can only vote in one. So if youre a college student who has a permanent address is in one state and lives in another to attend school, you can choose where you want to cast your vote. Youll need to check with your home state or the state your school is in for more details on registration requirements, how to register and, of course, how to vote. You can generally find this information through a states Secretary of State website or  the board of elections. Additionally, if you decide to vote in your home state but are living in another state, youll probably need to vote absentee. Make sure you allow yourself enough time to receive — and return — your ballot through the mail. The same goes for changing registration: While a few states offer same-day voter registration, many have firm deadlines for registering new voters before an election.   How Do I Vote in My Hometown Election If Im Away at School? If, say, you live in Hawaii but are in college in New York, chances are you arent going to be able to head home to vote. Assuming you want to remain a registered voter in Hawaii, youll need to register as an absentee voter and have your ballot sent to you at school. How Do I Vote in the State Where My School Is? As long as youve registered to vote in your new state, you should get voter materials in the mail that will explain the issues, have candidate statements and say where your local polling place is. You may very well vote right on your campus. If not, theres a pretty good chance that a lot of students at your school will need to get to the neighborhood polling place on Election Day. Check with your student activities or student life office to see if they are running shuttles or if there are any carpooling initiatives involved for reaching the polling place. Lastly, if you dont have transportation to your local polling place or wont be able to vote on Election Day for some other reason, see if you can vote by mail.   Even if your permanent address and your school are in the same state, youll want to double-check your registration. If you cant get home on Election Day, you either need to vote absentee or consider changing your registration to your school address so you can vote locally. Where Can I Get More Information on the Issues That Affect College Students? College students are a critical — and very large — voting constituency who are often at the forefront of political activism. (Its not an accident presidential debates are historically held on college campuses.) Most campuses have programs and events, put on by campus or local political parties and campaigns, that explain different candidates views on certain issues. The internet is full of information on elections but put in the effort to seek out credible sources. Look to non-profit, non-partisan organizations for details on election issues, as well as quality news sources and political parties websites, which have information on initiatives, candidates, and their policies.