NEW YORK – Out-of-state college students living in New York who want to cast a ballot locally have just three days left to meet the state’s voter registration deadline.
Out-of-state college students who live in New York can register to vote here using their dorm or off-campus address; that’s so long as they meet New York’s voter eligibility requirements.
Students who want to vote back home instead can check their home state’s rules for requesting an absentee or mail-in ballot.
What they’re saying:
Sara Kempner with the US Vote Foundation explained that waiting until the last minute is the most common mistake students make, since each state sets its own rules.
“By the time it arrives and they fill it out and send it, it can be a little tricky to get it in on time,” Kempner said.
Why you should care:
Identification rules can also present a barrier for students attempting to register using their college address.
To help voters navigate varying requirements, the US Vote Foundation offers an online Voter Journey Map tool to guide students through their state’s specific process.
Local perspective:
Some NYU students from out of state say while the university did have resources to guide them through the process, it was tricky.
Freshman Clive Horn noted that while NYU provided straightforward instructions on necessary local documents, navigating his home state’s requirements was far more difficult.
“NYU sent out an email to all the students telling them the process for registering to vote in New York and what you have to do, says Horn. “I can see how it can be very confusing for some other students maybe who miss their email and might not understand the difference between things and I’m still going through the process as well,” he says.
The Source: The information in this article is from FOX 5 NY Kelly Kennedy’s reporting.