Voting early as college students

By Abbie Stevens, StevensA6@Findlay.edu

Voting is an important American right, but what if you’re not available on Election Day? As someone who experienced early voting, this is painless process for busy college students. 

If one is registered to vote in Ohio, you can vote in person before election day until Nov. 3 at the local Board of Elections. The Hancock County Board of Elections is located at 201 E Lincoln St, Findlay – about five minutes away from UF’s campus. To vote early, registered voters must present an unexpired Ohio license or ID card.  

Since I don’t have time to stand in line on election day, I traveled to the Board of Elections on Oct. 23 to cast my vote early. Upon arrival, there was a 15-minute wait; however, the actual voting process only took about five minutes.  

Citizens wishing to vote early must locate an early voting site in their area. After locating and traveling to the designated location, voters must bring any required identification, then check in with the election officials to cast their vote. 

To participate in absentee voting, eligible voters must submit a request for an absentee ballot online, by mail, or in-person at the local election office. Once the voter receives the ballot, citizens can fill out the ballot and return it back to their election office by mail, designated drop box, or in-person. 

Ohio residents can also request an absentee ballot that will be mailed to them at voteohio.gov. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is seven days before Election Day, which is Oct. 29.  

For students who are from out-of-state, the voting process looks different. Even if the student is from out-of-state, they can still vote in-person, early or absentee in the state of Ohio if they have registered with their UF address. However, if the student’s registered to vote in another state, look into the states’ process for requesting an early ballot. 

Voting early can provide several benefits to registered voters including convenience, reduced stress, increased participation, flexibility and shorter lines.  

According to the U.S. Vote Foundation, “The availability of early voting can make the difference between voting and not voting for many people who travel, who are working on Election Day, who need options for childcare while voting and more. Early voting can sometimes save you time with shorter lines to cast your ballots.” 

Another voting option – absentee voting – also provides similar benefits. Registered voters can review their ballots at home and take time to study different issues, according to the NCSL. A study from the Pew Research Center in 2020 shared that 65% of voters support no-excuse absentee voting.