Checking all the boxes: A how-to guide to voting
Photo Courtesy of Element5 Digital
Trinity Adams, News and Feature Editor
As election day approaches, people around the country get ready to cast their vote. But are they actually prepared to do so? As college students, how can you find out if you are registered and where you can vote if you are not from South Carolina?
Most, if not all, of the answers to these questions are found on Voting.org, which can give you the answers by state. The first step to preparing to vote is making sure you are registered.
Most people register to vote when they get their license. If you have moved since doing that, you most likely are not registered. On Vote.org you can check your registration status. If you are not registered to vote, there are two ways to register.
To be eligible to register to vote in the state of South Carolina, you must be a U.S. citizen, 18 years or older, a resident of South Carolina and not have any prior felonies. In South Carolina, the deadline to register online is Sunday, October 6. To be eligible to register online, you must have a valid ID and the ability to provide your social security number.
The deadline to register by mail is Monday, October 7. To register by mail, you need to fill out the South Carolina voter registration mail application form, which can be found on the South Carolina Election Commission’s website. All documents must be postmarked by October 7 if not received by that time.
All documents for mail-in voter registration must be sent to the county voter registrations and election office that is specific to your specific county. Information for the location of your county office can be found on the South Carolina Election Commission’s website.
The deadline to register in person is Friday, October 4. Anyone interested in registering in person must go to their county’s voter registration and elections office. Specific office locations can be found in the link above.
Many of NGU’s students are not from South Carolina and have the option of voting in either their hometown or at a poll location in South Carolina. If going home is not possible for you, you can check if you are eligible to register to vote in South Carolina instead using the school address. Eligibility and instructions on changing your voting place and registration can be found on Vote.org.
If a student does not want to register to vote using the school’s address, a student can vote via an absentee ballot. In South Carolina, the last day to request an absentee ballot is 5 p.m. on October 25. Information on how to request an absentee ballot can be found on SCVotes.org.
Early voting in South Carolina begins on Monday, October 21 and ends on Saturday, November 2. According to SCVotes.gov, the location you plan to vote for during early voting may differ from the location on election day. Election day is Tuesday, November 5. This will be the last day for anyone to cast their votes.
