We’re less than two months from Election Day. Voting as a student can be complicated — here’s how to make sure you’re registered and ready to vote.
You are eligible to vote in Indiana if you are a U.S. citizen and an Indiana resident, have resided in your voting precinct for more than 30 days before Nov. 5, are at least 18 years old and are not in prison after being convicted of a crime. A driver’s license or state ID is required to vote.
For Indiana residents, the easiest way to check if you’re registered, or to register, is through the state’s voting portal. The registration deadline is Oct. 7.
To check your registration, you’ll need to enter your name, birthday and the county you’re registered in. Registering for the first time online requires your driver’s license or state ID, your address and some additional information.
On the portal, you can also check your polling location for voting on Election Day and request absentee ballots.
You’ll be able to request an absentee ballot if you’re a student and can’t reasonably return to your voting precinct on Election Day. Requesting to vote by mail is due Oct. 24; ballots must be received by county election officials by 6 p.m. on Election Day.
You can also vote early in person at your local precinct in Indiana before Election Day, available Oct. 8 until noon Nov. 4.
But if you’re coming to IU from out of town, figuring out where and how to vote can be difficult. Deciding whether to vote at a Monroe County address or a home address is often a major obstacle for students, Lisa-Marie Napoli, director of the nonpartisan Political and Civic Engagement program at IU, said.
Students can vote at either their school residence or their home address. Some students, Napoli said, may choose to vote in their home states if theirs is a swing state. But others may choose to focus on local Monroe County issues, she said, despite Indiana’s solid-red status.
One of the largest hurdles for voters to cross is figuring out who exactly is on the ballot, Napoli said. In Monroe County, that’s the circuit court judge divisions 3, 4 and 9, county councilor at large, county commissioner districts 2 and 3, auditor, coroner, surveyor and treasurer.
Information on many of these races is available on the Indiana Daily Student’s elections landing page. More stories and information on the candidates will filter in as we get closer to Election Day. Additional information on local elections is available in the B Square Bulletin’s and the Herald Times’ coverage and PACE’s elections guide.
Polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 6 p.m. Nov. 5. If you are in line before 6 p.m., you are still able to vote.
If you’re registered to vote at Indiana University in Bloomington precincts 5, 18, 19 and 23, you can vote at the Indiana Memorial Union. You can check your registration and polling places at IU Student Government’s Turbovote — and get an Uber ride for free if you need one.
If you work at IU, you might be able to get paid time off to vote — check here for more additional information. You’re allowed to take two hours off in most cases.
Otherwise, if you’re registered to vote in Monroe County or Indiana at large, you’ll be able to check your polling location through Indiana’s voting portal. Resources for out-of-state students are available at vote.org.
