2020 has flown by with all the things that have happened this year and somehow it is already nearing the end of the year. This year has had so much going on, that it feels like it was March just yesterday. However, there are another 3 months left to go and a lot that will be happening since it is presidential election year. Coming up on November 3rd, we will have the chance to vote for who we would like to see as our president. To do this though, you must be registered. Some college students have told me they didn’t know it was possible to register while they are away at college, but you can register anywhere at any time and thankfully I have found multiple ways to do so in under 5 minutes.
Most people have social media nowadays. I know that any time that I get on an app, there is usually something asking me if I am registered to vote. It may be very in your face, but it is a fast and effortless way to register to vote online. Some apps that have it are Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. You can even look it up on the apps and it will lead you to a website to get registered.
Another super easy way to register to vote in Illinois is to look up “Illinois Online Voter Registration”. It will take you to the official website to register in Illinois. On the website you can register for the first time, change any information you need to change and find where you can go to vote. It also gives information on early voting as well since not everyone will have time on November 3rd to go get in their vote. To make it even easier, you can click here to get to the website to register.
For Illinois State University students, the Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning (CELS) has a great page for learning how to register to vote. They have a website called TurboVote that is an easy tool to register to vote, change your voter information or even request reminders about voting and the upcoming election. Check out the CELS voter’s guide at https://communityengagement.illinoisstate.edu/vote/ to learn even more.
CELS also is hosting a competition between Heartland, Illinois Wesleyan, and ISU to see which school can get the most students registered to vote. At ISU, civic engagement is a huge part of what our campus is about. We are trying to get as many or all our students registered to vote to beat the other two schools and get involved in our community. Even though some may not be on campus this semester, it is highly encouraged to register in your communities.
Registering to vote means that you will be able to vote in any presidential, state, county, or town elections. This gives everyone an opportunity for their voice to be heard. Although it may not seem like your one vote can make a difference, it is actually the complete opposite. One vote can make all the difference, so go out and register now!