Voting and civic engagement: Vote

The first step to voting is registering to vote

Are you registered?

Sign up through TurboVote to check if you're registered and to get registered if you're not.

You can also go to your state's voting and elections website to check your registration or find more voting information.

Which address should you use to register to vote?

It's up to you! Your residence is the place you consider your home. 

As a college student, you might have two addresses that you could consider "home":

• ​if you consider your campus or neighborhood residence as your home and want to vote in that district, register that address.  If you live on campus, use your mailing address.
• If you consider your parents’ residence or some other residence as your home and want to vote in that district's election, you can register that address.
• You must choose only one address to vote from in each election. 

Read more from the Minnesota Secretary of State about voting as a college student here.

Next, make a plan for how and where you'll vote.  

You must vote at the address where you are registered.  If you are not registered, you can register at the polls in MN.  Go to the poll location for your address.

St. Thomas residential students

• Students living on-campus north of Summit Avenue: Vote at McNeely Hall
• Students living on-campus south of Summit Avenue: Vote at the Groveland Recreation Center, 2021 St. Clair Ave.

In Minnesota:

• Find your polling place.
• Learn how to cast your ballot.
• Know what you need to bring.
• Can't get to the polls on election day? Vote early in person or via mail.

Not voting in Minnesota?

• Use TurboVote to find out how to vote absentee in your state. 

Once you know where and how to vote, it's time to decide who and what you'll vote for!

Find out what's on your ballot

The links below go to the election websites where you can enter your address and find out who and what will be on your ballot

Research candidates and issues

• Visit our pages on researching candidates and issues. 
• Talk with friends and neighbors and even candidates. 
• Watch or attend debates.
• Read local newspaper reporting
• Look up local organizations that do work that is important to you.  See if they have published a voter guide

The final, and most important step of all, is to vote!

You can vote early:

• 

  In Minnesota: Vote early
• Other states: Rules vary by state 

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You can vote on Election Day:

1. Go to your polling place

In Minnesota, most polling places are open from 7 am to 8 pm.  

Find your polling place.

2. Sign in or register to vote 

If you are registered, your name will be on a list of voters, and you just need to sign in. 

If you did not register, you can still register at the polls in Minnesota.  Just bring proof of your current address.  This can include your college id and a current student fee statement.  Read more about election day registration.

3. VOTE!

Tips to make voting less stressful and more fun

• Voting and ballots can be confusing, so make it easy on yourself and write down your choices.  You can take notes with you when you vote (this isn't a closed-book test)!
• You can leave questions blank. If you haven't had time to research all the issues and candidates, don't worry! Choose the ones most important to you and vote for those.
• Go with a friend or a group of friends, make it an event!
• Celebrate your vote! Get a sticker, do a dance, give yourself a treat!

There are many accommodations available to make sure everyone can vote!  You can bring someone to help, ask an election judge, use a machine to help you mark your ballot, or even vote from your car. Read about it here.