Make Your Vote Plan

October 16, 2022

*The nonpartisan ClemsonVotes coalition will be providing ideas and resources to faculty and instructors throughout the fall 2022 semester via the Clemson Teaching Listserv.

October is prime Make Your Vote Plan time! In the United States, we are seeing an increasing number of citizens who choose to vote early, vote by mail, vote absentee, vote early in-person, or vote via other alternatives as allowed by their states and counties.

For college students in particular, voting can be a bit confusing. The Clemson Votes student interns have created a Voting Plan Interactive Guide to take voters through the process. As an instructor, could you consider including this guide in your communications to students (share in class, share on Canvas, share in an email, or other regular communication)? 

It includes important questions such as:

1. Will you cast your ballot in person on Election Day or through another option? (The options vary state by state, and Campus Vote Project is a great resource for information in the state where you are registered.)
2. What are your options for requesting an absentee or mail-in ballot? (In some states, like South Carolina, absentee ballots can only be requested by calling your county voter registration office, and no-excuse absentee voting is no longer allowed.) Do I have the website or phone number available? 
3. Will you vote early? Do you know when early voting starts and ends? Do you know the location, since it may be different from your regular voting location?
4. If you vote absentee or by mail-in ballot, do you know how to return your ballot? Do you know the deadline? Do you have a stamp? Does your ballot need to be witnessed or notarized?
5. If you vote on election day, do you know when the polls open and close? Do you know the location? Do you know what ID to bring?

Research shows that college students care about participating in democracy, but don’t always have knowledge of how to follow through. When instructors can share this information, we all win!