A College Student’s Guide to Voting
Cover Image Courtesy: Pinterest
This past Tuesday (Sept. 24, 2024) marks exactly six weeks until the 2024 U.S. presidential election. As a college student, the specifics of the voting process can get confusing very quickly. Address changes and misinformation shouldn’t keep you from exercising your democratic rights! Whether this is your first presidential election, first election in general or you just need a reminder, here are some pointers on how to use your voice this November. This article will mainly focus on these processes in Athens and Georgia at large, so make sure you double-check vote.org for your state’s deadlines and regulations.
The paperwork to complete voter registration can seem daunting, but it only takes about five minutes! Grab your driver’s license and computer, and log onto vote.gov. Select your state, and a page will appear giving you details about your state’s protocol. The deadline to register to vote in Georgia is Monday, October 7. Fill out the online form, and make sure to know if you need to print and mail it to an elections office.
Once you’ve registered, you should always log onto vote.org to ensure that your registration is still active and that your information is correct and up to date. It takes less than a minute! You can change or correct information through your state’s voter page. I would even recommend double-checking there, even if vote.org says that you are registered. You can never be too sure!
If you are an out-of-state student or don’t plan to go home to vote in person, you need to send in a request for an absentee ballot. This is something else that has unique deadlines by state, and can be checked on vote.gov. Be sure you’re familiar with not only the deadline to order your ballot, but when it must be completed, postmarked, and sent. Absentee ballots can be mailed or left at an elections office dropbox. These dropboxes can be found through resources from your local elections office.
It is your responsibility to be acquainted with the democratic process, so it’s best to get on top of it now. Make your voice heard! Happy voting!
Strike Out,
Stella Turner
Editor: Anna Kadet
Athens