How to vote in the 2016 Presidential Election
By Eric Wallace// Staff Writer
As the 2016 presidential election approaches, many college students will be voting for the first time. Not everyone may be familiar with how they can vote, especially out-of-state students.
The first thing to do is make sure you are registered to vote. As long as you are at least 18 years old, a U.S. citizen and not a felon, you are eligible to vote in local, state and national elections. Many states have registration deadlines that vary depending on state law. Make sure to know the deadline and requirements for your state.
If you’re not sure if you are registered, many states have online voter databases where you can search your name to check. If you are not registered, you can get a voter registration form from a library, the DMV or by simply printing one from online. Just fill out the form and mail it in to your local county board of elections.
Once you’re registered, you don’t have to wait until Election Day to cast your ballot. Voting early or absentee is a good way to avoid potentially long lines at the polls. Early voting in North Carolina started on Oct. 20.
If you will be out of the city or state in which you are registered on Election Day, you can vote absentee. You can fill out a request form for an absentee ballot and mail it in, or may be able to print it yourself online depending on your state. Each state has its own laws on voting absentee, so you should check with your state’s laws. You may be required to provide ID, a driver’s license number or Social Security number. You will then be mailed a ballot where you can vote from the your home and then mail back the ballot before Election Day.
Another way to vote when you will be away from your home on Election Day is to reregister in the state that you will be in. You are even allowed to register at your school’s address according to The Campus Vote Project. If you are voting in North Carolina for the first time, you may be required to show ID at the polls. This could include a driver’s license, U.S. passport or anything that includes a photo, name or address. Visit
highpoint.edu/hpuvotes to learn more about voter registration for students choosing to register in North Carolina.
If you decide to physically vote at the polls on Election Day, your voter registration card will have the address of your polling place. The hours to vote on Election Day are from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., and as long as you are in line before 7:30 p.m., you will be allowed to vote. According to the state board of elections, once inside you will confirm your name and address and sign the “Authorization to Vote” form. You will then receive a ballot and will be allowed to vote in a booth in private.
While voting, you are not required to vote for every section on the ballot. Only the sections you mark will be counted. You can view a sample ballot online before you vote so you will know exactly what your ballot will look like.
If you attempt to vote but your eligibility is called into question, you can still vote via a provisional ballot. This means that you can vote but the ballot may or may not count, depending on what the issue is.
For additional resources on how to vote, you can check out campusvoteproject.org, rockthevote.com and ncsbe.gov.