Election Day is officially less than a month away, and whether you’re a first-time voter or you’ve cast a ballot before, it’s always good to prepare. After all, every election cycle is a little different from the one before, and familiarizing yourself with candidates, measures, and your sample ballot is essential to making sure your vote truly reflects your priorities.
At the same time, there’s often a lot of information to keep track of — and amid midterm exams, Halloween parties, and everything else that goes on in a college student’s life, the last thing anyone needs is another set of facts to commit to memory, especially when there’s so much at stake.Â
Remembering the name of every single candidate you plan to vote for (because you are going to vote all the way down the ballot, right?) can become overwhelming, and making sense of the convoluted wording of some of the ballot measures can feel nearly impossible. So, if you’re worried that on the big day, you’ll forget everything you’ve learned at a moment where it feels like you need to get it all right, you’re definitely not alone. Luckily, you have more resources available to you than you might expect.Â
Can you bring notes in to the voting booth?
Yes! Generally, voters are allowed to bring paper copies of notes, as well as any guides that may have been provided by their campaigns, into the voting booth at your polling place. If you’ve received a sample ballot, whether it’s an official copy provided by your state or an unofficial copy provided by a local nonprofit group, you’re also welcome to take it inside with you.Â
However, if you jotted your thoughts down in the Notes app on your phone, you might not want to rely on that. The rules surrounding phones and electronic devices vary from state to state, so you shouldn’t bank on being able to refer to your phone on Election Day.Â
For example, states like Texas make it clear that under state law, voters aren’t allowed to use their phones within a polling location for any reason. But some other states, such as North Carolina, explicitly outline that voters can use their devices for notes, as long as they’re not using them for photography (since many states do not allow ballot selfies or the recording of anyone’s ballots) or communication while voting. Conversely, some states aren’t explicit about their mobile device rules.
Because the rules aren’t consistent when it comes to how you can carry resources with you, bringing anything you might need the old-school way — handwritten or printed out — might be your safest bet. Alternatively, you can always check in with your state’s elections officials to confirm whether accessing electronic copies of resources is permitted under your state’s laws.Â
So, put those cheat sheet skills to good use, take some time to look into the candidates and issues on your ballot this November, and get ready to cast an informed and confident vote.