Many people go to college a few hours from their home. Some even travel across the country for their education.
We leave our family and friends behind to explore a new city or state and make a new home for ourselves on our college campus.
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We shouldn't leave our voting duties behind too.
Less than 50 percent of all college students actually voted in the last presidential election (which usually have a higher voter turnout due to the national attention), according to a study from Tufts University.
More than 20.5 million people are currently enrolled in college, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. That's 5 percent of all eligible voters staying home as students.
I collected some resources to answer from FAQs below.
Am I registered to vote?
Some states register citizens when they get their driver's license, but you could also sign up online or in person at locations depending on where you live.
Check your registration status by clicking here. Rock the Vote provides this awesome to let people check if and where they're registered to vote.
Should I register to vote at school or at home?
You can choose either! Personally, I chose to stay registered to vote at home, because I was more invested in that set of local politics.
Registering at school makes it easier to actually vote though, because you can simply go to your polling station.
How do I vote while I am away at school?
Absentee ballots are one option. Turbo Vote is a really cool organization that sends personalized absentee ballots to you, and they even provide addressed and stamped envelopes to mail your vote in.
Early voting can also work. You can check here with vote.org for details about your state.
For example, I'm from Indiana, so I can vote for almost a month before the election. This means you could probably vote early when you go home for Fall Break.
Why does it matter?
Voting is right. We have to wait 18 years, and we need to finally exercise our rights.
I don't care what your political views are. I want people to understand how important voting really is.
You may say that one vote cannot change the election. But 10 million other people thought that and stayed home. Together, that is making an impact. That is change. That is collective power.
Bottom line, voting is not that hard. At the end of the day, you cannot complain about the system if you were too lazy to even try to make a difference.
So go vote! (And take all of your friends with you.)
