Why Voting is Important

Voting is a large part of being a citizen of the United States. It is our responsibility in a system of checks and balances to voice our opinion in choosing the leaders of our nation. Without this duty, our futures would be held in a small number of hands. Voting is how we voice our opinions. With over 300 million individuals living in the United States, gathering a public opinion is next to impossible without voting. Voting can change the world in a substantial way. It is our responsibility to be a part of this change.

 

Unexpected Benefits of Voting

 

 

Steps to Vote

1. Are you a UConn student from out of state? You can vote here in Connecticut, in your home state, or by absentee ballot! Find a voter registration table on campus or go online at http://studentvote.org/
2. Educate Yourself – Learn about the candidates as well as their policies and what they stand for. Most candidates have a campaign website that outlines their beliefs. If you are registered to vote in Connecticut, visit The Alliance’s Candidate Contact page to find out who is running in your district and how to contact them.
3. Get Out There and Vote! –

ELECTION DAY- November 6^th polls open 6am to 8pm

Anyone encountering election related problems can contact the Election Day hotline at 1-866-733-2463

or by sending an email to elections@ct.gov

 Locations to Register

• Right here on campus! – Look out for registration tables happening this fall before the November election
• Department of Motor Vehicles – the closest DMV to the University of Connecticut is in Willimantic at 1557 Main Street
• Town Hall – the Mansfield Town Hall is just a walk away from campus and offers registration forms in the registrar’s office at 4 South Eagleville Road
• Online-Many states, including CT, have online registration. Click here for online registration

Important Dates and Deadlines

• Tuesday, September 25th is National Voter Registration Day
• Friday, October 5^th– Absentee Ballots available, you can apply for an AB before this deadline using the form below
• Tuesday, October 30^th @ 11:59pm– Online voter registration deadline, Last day to register online to vote on Nov. 6^th
• Tuesday, October 30^th– Mail postmark voter registration deadline, if you are mailing in your voter registration card to the local registrar of voters, your VR card must be postmarked by this date.
• Tuesday, November 6^th– General Election day, polls open 6am-8pm. Absentee ballots must be received by local Town Clerk by close of the polls (8pm) or they will not be counted.
• Tuesday, November 6^th– Election Day Registration, You may register and vote in person on election day if you meet the eligibility requirements for voting in CT and you are not already registered, OR you are registered in your hometown and want to vote at school.
• Deadlines are different for every state so make sure you know the voter registration deadline for your state. To find a list of deadlines for every state, visit this link: https://www.vote.org/voter-registration-deadlines/

Useful Links

CT Residents:

• Online voter Registration Application–http://studentvote.org
• Paper Voter Registration Application– A link to the English and Spanish pdf versions of the voter registration card. https://portal.ct.gov/SOTS/Election-Services/Register-to-Vote/Voter-Registration-Application-English-and-Spanish
• Absentee Ballot Application– If you are planning on voting in your hometown in CT and not at school, you can apply for an Absentee Ballot here https://portal.ct.gov/SOTS/Election-Services/Voter-Information/Absentee-Voting
• Sample Ballots– A page where the voter can go to look up their town’s sample ballot before going in to vote. Typically available 2-3 weeks before the election.  https://portal.ct.gov/SOTS/Election-Services/Town-Ballots/Ballots
• Voter Identification Requirements– In CT we do not require a photo I.D. to vote. Here you can find the specifics on what types of identifications are accepted. https://portal.ct.gov/SOTS/Election-Services/FAQ/FAQ—Voter-Identification
• Voter Registration Look up- Am I registered to vote? or more importantly am I registered to vote at the correct address? This one of the biggest issues facing college students looking to vote. Whether you moved to a new dorm room or a new apartment off campus, you needs to update your address in the voter database to make sure you are properly registered. You can look yourself up here https://portaldir.ct.gov/sots/LookUp.aspx
• Election Day Registration (EDR)– EDR permits anyone to register and vote in person on Election Day, for more information https://portal.ct.gov/SOTS/Election-Services/Election-Day-Registration-2013/Election-Day-Registration
• Election Results– After polls close at 8pm, you might be curious on who won what. Here is a link to our election results page that gives you the ability to get results to all of the races in CT. http://ctemspublic.pcctg.net/#/selectTown
• Voter information page– A direct URL to the Secretary of the State’s website with everything a voter would need to register and vote CT. Also all of these links above are listed on this page. www.myvote.ct.gov

Out of State:

Out of State Voter Reg.– If you choose to vote in your home state you can register to vote and find out how to obtain an Absentee Ballot from that state. You can use Studentvote.org to register or obtain an absentee card.

Quick History of Voter Engagement

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education.”

-Franklin Delano Roosevelt