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Voting as a Student
Voting-student

We really encourage students to register and vote at the address you are living at - whether it is a dorm, Greek house, or apartment - while in school. If you have questions about how to vote where you attend school, this is the place to ask.

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  • What if my college or university encourages me to vote at home?
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    You have the legal right to register and vote at any address that you will have been living in for a state-specific amount of time prior to the election. In every state, if you moved into on-or off-campus housing at the start of the fall semester, you will have been living there for long enough to vote.

  • Are there any restrictions on registering to vote using a P.O. Box, college campus, or dorm address?
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    A person may register to vote using any address he or she considers to be his or her legal residence. Residence requires both domicile and a place of abode. A P.O. Box is sufficient as a mailing address, but insufficient to establish residency. College students should list the street address of their dorm and specify the room, floor, or apartment they occupy.

  • I live in the same state but have moved to a different address than the address that is on my current voter registration. Do I need to re-register?
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    Yes. Each part of the state has its own unique candidates and measures on the ballot.

    When you vote at your assigned polling place you will have the opportunity to vote on the candidates and issues that most directly affect you and your neighbors. When you send in your new voter registration form indicate that you are changing your address. You will get a voter registration card in the mail within a month that will tell you where your precinct’s polling place is located. You do not have to “unregister” your previous registration.

  • I want to vote, but I will not be in my home precinct on Election Day. Can I still vote?
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    Absolutely. Go here for details on getting and submitting an absentee ballot: 


    http://www.longdistancevoter.org/absentee_ballots 


    Advanced planning is encouraged because in some states the deadline for applying for an absentee ballot is a few weeks prior to Election Day. As long as the absentee ballot itself is postmarked by Election Day it legally has to be counted.

  • Can I register to vote at my college or university address?
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    Yes. Even if you are already registered at home, we encourage you to register at school.

    You are much more likely to vote. And local election officials cannot treat students differently than they treat any other citizen when it comes to voting. (That’s in the U.S. Constitution, baby!) You cannot vote in two places -- like at your parent’s house and at school -- but if you consider your dorm or address at school your residence, you should register to vote there.

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