Sometimes the hardest part of voting is not figuring out who to vote for, but where and how to vote. For the vast majority of students at K-State, this fall will be the first major election they’ve been eligible to vote in.
There’s still plenty of time– whether you came to K-State from somewhere else in Kansas or another part of the country– to make sure that you’re registered and ready to vote.
If you’re from out-of-state and looking to register and vote there, your best bet in finding out the details and dates to get registered are either contacting your local County Clerk or going online to a website like Campus Vote Project. They have an interactive map which will give you specific instructions on the registration and absentee ballot procedures in your specific state.
However, if you’re an out-of-state student looking to register to vote in Kansas for the first time, in addition to filling out a voter registration application (which you can find on Riley County’s website or at the County Clerk’s office), you will need to provide “satisfactory evidence of United States citizenship.” according to the official Riley County website.
That includes a birth certificate, passport or U.S. naturalization documents, among other things. A comprehensive list of accepted documents is available on the “Got Voter ID?” website.
For in-state students who are originally registered in their hometowns, all you will need to do is to fill out a new voter registration form.
The deadline to register for the general election in Kansas is Oct. 18, and if you want to fill out a registration application at Riley County’s website, you need to get in by Sept. 24.
Once you’re registered, you can begin advance voting from Oct. 19 to Nov. 7 at noon at the Riley County Courthouse located on Poyntz Avenue. Election Day is Nov. 8 and polling locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. You can find your specific polling location by either searching online or going to the County Clerks office.
If you’re registered, a valid photo ID is all that’s required of you whether you vote in advance or on Election Day. If you’re mailing in an absentee ballot to your home county in Kansas, a photocopy of your ID is required to make it count.
Be sure to check back with the Collegian all election season long as we will give you the tips and tools you need to be registered and to vote come November.
