As election day inches closer and closer, the Associated Students of Colorado State University wants the student community to remember a few important things when it comes to voting.
As a campus, 68 percent of the student body is registered to vote, but it’s common on campus for students to have mistrust in the government, according to Yuval Rosenthal, the ASCU director of community affairs. He wants students to see the potential CSU has a student body.
“We have an apathetic student body when it comes to politics,” said Rosenthal. “There is so much potential, but how do we engage students who are inherently mistrusting of government?”
Working to answer this question, Rosenthal and ASCU President Tristan Syron partnered with New Era Colorado in hopes of creating CSU’s own organic voting registration drive. New Era trained ASCSU members as well as community volunteers to staff a voter registration drive. Under New Era’s supervision, ASCSU registered 270 voters on National Voter Registration day, Sept. 25.
ASCSU will also host Get Out the Vote events on the Lory Student Center plaza on Oct. 23, 25, 30 and Nov. 2. The effort is intended to partner with New Era to get students to vote, by engaging and collaborating with different members of the community.
“The student body has leverage when it comes to voting,” said Syron. “I think students need to see the impact of voting on their lives. We are here to invest in our future and ourselves; this is how we create change.”
Things to remember:
- The LSC is a polling location, the most accessible location in the city for students.
- Know the due dates of submitting a ballot; it varies by state.
- Study ballot measures, do some research on who you are voting for and what you are voting to change.
- Students still have time to submit their votes by mail; the due date varies, depending on the state in which the student is registered to vote.
- Students can register to vote or update their address in Colorado at any point up to and including Election Day
“As a student body we legitimately have a grasp on our future,” said Rosenthal. “ Our voice matters, on all levels — from the city to the state to federal representatives.”
Register to vote
If you need to register to vote, visit Vote.gov.
Register online. This is available for 37 states plus the District of Columbia.
Download the National Mail Voter Registration Form. You can fill it out on-screen and print the completed form, or print the blank form and fill it out by hand. Remember to sign the form before mailing it to the location listed for your state.
Basic Steps to Vote
The basic steps to vote are the same almost everywhere.
– Every state besides North Dakota requires you to register to vote
– Every state has absentee voting
– Most states assign you a specific polling place, or voting location. A few states have ballot drop sites instead.
Voter registration deadlines
Check the U.S. Vote Foundation to find your state’s deadline for registering. You can also check your state or territory’s election office for more details.
Colorado important dates
Early voting: Oct. 22 to Nov. 6
General election: Nov. 6
Voter registration deadline: Nov. 6
