Plan on voting? Register!
By Megan Baker
Last Updated:5:40 PM EST 1/30/08 Section: Fisher Votes 08
Voting is one of the most important responsibilities of an American, but a lot of college students have yet to even register. Registering to vote is quick and painless, but according to the U.S. Census Bureau, 58 percent of people aged 18 to 24 were registered to vote in the 2004 election, and 44 percent of people in this age group actually went out and voted.
With the Internet, registering to vote is easier than ever before. A couple of popular websites people can download registration forms from are www.rockthevote.com and www.declareyourself.com. These sites not only provide the forms, but also layout the registration process to ensure it is done correctly.
"I'm on the fence about registering," junior Jim Melia said. "The Internet would make it easier, so maybe I'll go for it and register."
In order to be eligible to vote, you must be registered at least 25 days before the election takes place. The time has already passed to be able to vote in New York's presidential primary, which takes place on Feb. 5, but in order to be able to vote in the presidential election, you must be registered by Oct. 14.
If registering by mail for the first time, you must provide a photocopy of your driver's license or some other form of picture identification, such as a passport. You must also bring your identification with you to the polls when voting for the first time.
Registering to vote is only half the battle. A lot of times, students go to school far from home and find themselves unable to go home to cast their ballot. If living off campus, students have the option of changing their permanent address so that they will be able to vote in the area in which they are currently living.
Another option would be to register for an absentee ballot. Absentee ballots can be downloaded from the sites mentioned above or can be requested from local board of elections. Junior Jordan McNamara uses absentee ballots to vote so that he does not have to go home to do it.
"I went to the board of elections to get an application, I filled it out and gave it to them. Three weeks before the election, they sent me a ballot which I filled out and sent it in," McNamara said. "It's a lot easier than having to drive all the way home. I recommend it because [voting is] a civic duty, and you shouldn't allow distance to be a barrier. People die everyday to protect our right to vote, so it's important for us to vote."
With the Internet, registering to vote is easier than ever before. A couple of popular websites people can download registration forms from are www.rockthevote.com and www.declareyourself.com. These sites not only provide the forms, but also layout the registration process to ensure it is done correctly.
"I'm on the fence about registering," junior Jim Melia said. "The Internet would make it easier, so maybe I'll go for it and register."
In order to be eligible to vote, you must be registered at least 25 days before the election takes place. The time has already passed to be able to vote in New York's presidential primary, which takes place on Feb. 5, but in order to be able to vote in the presidential election, you must be registered by Oct. 14.
If registering by mail for the first time, you must provide a photocopy of your driver's license or some other form of picture identification, such as a passport. You must also bring your identification with you to the polls when voting for the first time.
Registering to vote is only half the battle. A lot of times, students go to school far from home and find themselves unable to go home to cast their ballot. If living off campus, students have the option of changing their permanent address so that they will be able to vote in the area in which they are currently living.
Another option would be to register for an absentee ballot. Absentee ballots can be downloaded from the sites mentioned above or can be requested from local board of elections. Junior Jordan McNamara uses absentee ballots to vote so that he does not have to go home to do it.
"I went to the board of elections to get an application, I filled it out and gave it to them. Three weeks before the election, they sent me a ballot which I filled out and sent it in," McNamara said. "It's a lot easier than having to drive all the way home. I recommend it because [voting is] a civic duty, and you shouldn't allow distance to be a barrier. People die everyday to protect our right to vote, so it's important for us to vote."
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