VOTE!

I couldn’t be a real political science professor if I didn’t put right up front the importance of voting, and getting yourself registered to vote.

A few helpful sites for all US citizens:

• https://www.usa.gov/register-to-vote

• https://www.vote411.org/ 

• https://www.rockthevote.org/

• Campus Vote Project: https://www.campusvoteproject.org/ 

Find your elected representatives:

• Who is my legislator in Virginia?

• What district do I live in and where do I vote?  This also help me know who my local-Loudoun elected officials are.

REGISTER TO VOTE IN VIRGINIA:

• https://www.elections.virginia.gov/registration/how-to-register/

Voting EARLY or ABSENTEE in Virginia: https://www.elections.virginia.gov/casting-a-ballot/absentee-voting/

Overview of Voting Information for Virginia: https://vote.elections.virginia.gov/VoterInformation

You can vote three different ways in Virginia:

1. Absentee.  If you are travelling or prefer to not go to a polling place, you can vote by mail.  You apply to have your ballot mailed to you, you receive it by mail, and then you and you mail it back.  Of course, deadlines are important with this process.
   Information on applying for your absentee ballot can be found here: https://www.elections.virginia.gov/casting-a-ballot/absentee-voting/
   You can also track you ballot to make sure it gets to the proper office on time: https://ballotscout.org/partners/5a8f1161-23a0-4fa0-8ec9-3e090e97e9b3/va-search

2. Early In-Person Voting.  You show up to the collection of offices in your city or county that allow for early in-person voting.  This process starts 45 days before election day.  Early in this process, you usually have to go to the main city/county voting office to vote, and later in the 45 days there are often weekend hours and extra satellite offices you can go to for voting.  HAVE IDENTIFICATION WITH YOU (list of proper ID: https://www.elections.virginia.gov/registration/photo-ids-required-to-vote/index.html).

Early Voting Office Locations: https://www.elections.virginia.gov/casting-a-ballot/early-voting-office-locations/

3. Vote In-Person on Election Day.  HAVE PROPER IDENTIFICATION WITH YOU (list of acceptable ID: https://www.elections.virginia.gov/registration/photo-ids-required-to-vote/index.html).
   You show up on Election Day at your designated polling place, which is often a public school.  You can vote on this day from 6am until 7pm.  You can find your designated polling place through Virginia’s Citizen Portal: https://www.elections.virginia.gov/citizen-portal/.

Here’s some additional information for Virginia’s college students, who are often living at college when elections take place in November: https://www.elections.virginia.gov/registration/college-student-info/.