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Make Your Voice Heard in November – Register to Vote Now

Register to Vote | Get Informed | Vote on November 4th | Advance Voting

If you’ve turned on a television, scanned the headlines of a newspaper, listened in on conversations in coffee shops, or just taken a drive down a residential street lately, you know it’s inescapable: news and talk of the upcoming elections are everywhere.

Still, many find reasons not to go to the polls: they think that their vote won’t make a difference; they don’t feel they know enough to make an informed decision; or they simply let the deadline slip by without getting registered.

KU Libraries encourages everyone who is eligible to register and vote, and is pleased to offer information and resources to help.

Here it is: voting in three easy steps.

Step One: Get Registered

I’m a student; do I register here or in my hometown? In Kansas, you may register and vote in the town where you live while attending college, or you may choose to register and vote using your permanent address. (You cannot register to vote in both locations.)

When is the registration deadline? In Kansas, you must register fifteen (15) days before the general election to be eligible to vote; this year, that’s Monday, October 20.

Other states’ deadlines vary; some are as early as October 4 (Rhode Island, South Carolina, Washington), so if you are voting in your home state, register today.

Vote Kansas (www.voteks.org) offers links to voter registration forms and related information for Kansas voters.

Project Vote Smart (www.votesmart.org) contains voter registration information (including registration deadlines) for voters in all 50 states.

Step Two: Get Informed

In addition to voter registration information, Project Vote Smart (www.votesmart.org) also contains nonpartisan information on candidates’ voting records, campaign finances, public statements, and much more, for both national and state elections.

Looking for information on the presidential election, including the candidates and their positions? KU Librarian Amalia Monroe has created the 2008 Presidential Election Custom Search Engine (www.lib.ku.edu/election2008), a free resource where you can find background information on the presidential elections, introductions to specific topics (campaign finance, media, and public opinion polls), and more.

Dig deeper. Want to learn more about the elections or a specific topic? Ask a Librarian can get you started using the wealth of information and resources available from KU Libraries. Visit www.lib.ku.edu/askalibrarian to get started.

Step Three: Vote on Tuesday, November 4

Polls in Kansas are open from 7 am to 8 pm on election day, Tuesday, November 4; if you will not be able to go to the polls that day, you can request an advance voting ballot; see Vote Kansas (www.voteks.org) for details.

Advance Voting

Residents of Douglas County, Kansas can cast an advance ballot in person at the Election Office up to 20 days prior to the election (available now), or request an advance ballot by mail (more information).

Residents of other Kansas counties can request an advance ballot by mail; advance voting in person varies by county (more information).

Special Event: Finding and Using Presidential Election & Public Opinion Sources
Monday, October 20, 3 to 4 pm
Clark Instruction Center, Watson Library 3rd Floor
This session is free and open to the public.

Amalia Monroe, Librarian for Political Science and Public Administration, will provide an overview of the 2008 Presidential Election Custom Search Engine (www.lib.ku.edu/election2008), the web site and search engine she developed for the 2008 Presidential Election.  She will also review sources to find public opinion polls and survey information.