Exercising the right to vote is seen as a cornerstone of United States democracy. But before the vote comes voter registration.
Registering to vote is a simple, quick process that takes two to five minutes and can be done in-person or online, said Dylan Porter, social action coordinator with the ASUI Center for Volunteerism and Social Action.
To encourage students to register, the Department of Student Involvement will hold a National Voter Registration Day event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday in the ASUI Student Lounge.
“We’re going to deck it out in red, white and blue, and then encourage students to come and register to vote,” Porter said.
University of Idaho students can also register online through uidaho.turbovote.org, and may even opt to receive election updates on their phone or via email through the site. Porter said tablets will be provided to students registering to vote at the event, though students can also use their phones.
In addition to helping students through the registration process, the center will provide food, a photo booth and get-to-know-the-candidates games, Porter said. She said all students, whether registered or not, are welcome to stop by, grab a slice of pizza and get informed about the November election.
“We encourage all students to definitely show up,” Porter said. “Just because, also, if you’re registered to vote, you might not be educated on the midterm election itself or the candidates, and we’ll have that information there.”
Students already registered but who have moved since last voting may also want to reregister. All Idaho residents voting in person on election day, Nov. 6, can register at the polls.
Usually, a UI student can choose to vote in Latah County, where they might live while attending school, or in another county where they could be considered a resident, said Kaela Watson, a social action coordinator with the center.
“If we have young students, I usually recommend that they vote in Latah County, because this is your home for four years,” Watson said. “However … that really depends on their own personal choice. Idaho law is like, ‘vote in where you consider your home to be.'”
Watson said for students who miss the National Voter Registration Day event, the Center for Volunteerism and Social Action will host a tabling event Oct. 1 in the Idaho Commons to provide preregistration information. Preregistration is necessary for potential voters who plan on casting an absentee ballot. For those who plan on physically voting in the county they are registered in, day-of registration is possible. The deadline for preregistration is Oct. 12.
The Department of Student Involvement is also holding a competition between Greek Chapters through TurboVote until Oct. 1, Porter said. She said the chapter that wins the competition will receive a food party.
“I think that everybody should vote because it’s their civic duty,” Porter said. “But being part of the university is also being part of the local community, and being part of the local community is also exercising the rights that they give you, like voting.”
Nina Rydalch can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @NinaRobin7