If you’re unhappy with the current political climate in America, the 2020 primary election should be extremely important to you. Primary elections typically have a lower voter turnout, yet they can be just as important as the general election. The results of this election will set the tone for the rest of the campaign season and determine who will be the front runner against President Donald Trump. If you aren’t registered to vote, Missouri’s deadline to register is February 12. Here are two important things you need to know.
- Registering to Vote
-
Here are the state of Missouri’s requirements to register to vote: You must be a U.S. citizen that is a Missouri resident and at least 17½ at the time of registration and 18 at the time of the election. This week, the easiest way to register to vote is on campus! ASUM (Associated Students of the University of Missouri), a student organization at UMKC is holding a voting drive February 3 through February 7. If you can’t make the drive, there are four other ways to register: Online registration, a mail-in application, in person at your County Clerk’s office (find your location here) and you can request an application to be mailed to you. Don’t forget, if you send a mail-in application, it must be postmarked by the fourth Wednesday before March 10, 2020. If you live in Kansas, you can apply online or fill out a mail-in application. If you reside in another state, you can find your state’s Secretary of State website to find out how and where to register to vote.
- Absentee Ballots
-
Absentee voting is a great way for college students away from home to vote. The only disadvantage to absentee voting is that you have to find someone to notarize your ballot. Aside from lawyers, banks and post offices always have a notary on staff. UMKC also has several notaries on campus that can be found here in addition to the US Bank at the Student Union. Absentee voting requirements vary from state to state, but the process in Missouri is relatively easy. Once you print and fill out the form (here) you can find where to mail the application here.
When in doubt, ask someone for help. There are tons of professors, peers and student organizations that would love to help college students register to vote. Stay informed and make sure to show up and vote March 10!