How to vote as a college student: your guide to the 2020 U.S. Presidential Primary Election

With elections coming up, many students have questions about how to vote in college, where to vote, and where to find voting information. With many questions being raised after the Iowa Caucus and the New Hampshire Primary, The Daily Princetonian has made a comprehensive guide on how to register to vote and request an absentee ballot for the 2020 U.S. Presidential Primary election.

College students living outside of their home state may register to vote in either the state of their school or in their official state of residence. To register to vote in the state of New Jersey, visit the New Jersey Division of Elections Website. The New Jersey Presidential Primary Election will be held on Jun. 2, and the deadline to register is May 12.

If you choose to register in your state of residence, you must register to vote in that state and request an absentee ballot for your state to be sent to your University postal address. Be aware that state deadlines for voter registration and absentee ballot voting may vary, and often voter registration deadlines come first, so be sure to check both deadlines.

Absentee ballots can be requested online in almost every state. To find out how to request an absentee or mail-in ballot, register to vote, and find state voting information, visit the website of your state’s Secretary of State or Division of Elections. Vote100, the University’s campus voting campaign, recommends visiting their website as well as the Campus Vote Project to find voting information and resources. In addition, visit Rock the Vote to find state-specific voting and voter registration information.

Below, find a quick guide to which states are still allowing registration for the 2020 Presidential Primary Elections. An asterisk notes that a deadline is within two weeks of the publication of this piece.

For the following states, you can still register to vote and submit for an absentee ballot:

Alabama*, Arizona*, California*, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia (only for the Democratic Primary), Florida*, Georgia*, Hawaii, Idaho*, Illinois*, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada (only for the Republican Primary), New Mexico, New York, Ohio*, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin.

For the following states, you can no longer register to vote but you can still request an absentee ballot: Arkansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri*, North Carolina, Oklahoma*, South Carolina*, Tennessee*, Texas*, Utah*, Vermont, Virginia*.

Unfortunately, the following states have caucuses and conventions for one or both parties and therefore voters must be present to vote: Alaska (Democratic Caucus), District of Columbia (Republican Caucus), Nevada (Democratic Caucus), North Dakota (Democratic Caucus and Republican Convention), and Wyoming (Democratic Caucus and Republican Convention).