In the 2020 elections, turnout among 18- and 19-year-olds was only 46%, far below the national average. Learning to participate in elections early in life is important for forming lasting habits of civic engagement. Elaborate election administration policies can discourage turnout among newly eligible voters by making it logistically difficult to register for and cast a vote. Given that a significant proportion of juniors and seniors will be able to vote in the upcoming midterm election (which, by the way, takes place on November 8, 2022), this article seeks to outline the relevant procedures.
Step 1: Register to vote
States have different deadlines for voter registration, ranging from seven days before election day in Connecticut to 30 days before election day in Ohio. You can find out your state’s deadline by consulting online sources such as vote.gov or vote.org.
Most states have online voter registration, though notable exceptions include Texas and New Hampshire, which require a paper form mailed to a local election office. You need to provide a driver’s license, state-issued ID or social security number.
You can choose to register in your home state or in Massachusetts, but not both. Since your vote can only count toward one set of elections, studying local dynamics and identifying how competitive your home district is will help you determine where your vote can make a larger impact. (Massachusetts’ 2nd congressional district and gubernatorial race are very likely Democratic seats for Jim McGovern and Maura Healey respectively, and there is no Senate race.) If you turn 18 between now and election day, you can still pre-register to vote by following the same process, as is the case for any election.
Step 2: Apply for an absentee/mail-in ballot
This process is similar to voter registration. Your application for an absentee ballot will be due somewhere between one day before election day, as in Connecticut, to 21 days before election day, as in Rhode Island. Some states (e.g. New York) allow for online applications, but many states, such as New Jersey, require the application to be mailed.
For states with online applications, you can find the application forms on official state government websites or through websites such as vote.org or rockthevote.org. Importantly, mailed applications must be received by the deadline, meaning they should be postmarked even earlier. You can use the USPS office next to the Deerfield Inn on Old Main Street. First-Class Mail stamps will take two to five business days to be delivered.
Some states, such as California or Nevada, automatically register voters for mail-in ballots. You still need to send an application to make sure that the ballot is sent to Deerfield rather than your home address.
If you are a day student or choose to register in Massachusetts and would like to vote in person instead, you can skip this step and go to a polling place on election day.
Step 3: Learn about your candidates
A variety of offices and propositions will be up for election in November. These may include Senate and House seats on the federal level; state legislatures, governors, attorneys general, and ballot measures; and mayors and other local offices. Researching all the way down the ballot will allow you to make an outsized impact on niche races that do not draw as much attention. The leaders of the Young Democrats and Young Republicans will also hold regular meetings leading up to the election to educate the community on the importance of voting and some of the issues being debated.
Step 4: Cast your vote
For in-person voting, you can cast your vote at the Deerfield Town Hall on 8 Conway Street in South Deerfield. You should have a valid ID, such as a driver’s license.
For mail-in ballots, once again, states have different policies. Some states (e.g. California) require that the ballots are postmarked (i.e. sent off) by election day. Others (e.g. Pennsylvania) require that they are received by the time polls close on election day. Some states (e.g. Virginia) also require the signature of a witness in addition to the voter’s.
Carlene Hamlin, the interim Deerfield town clerk who is responsible for running municipal, state, and federal elections, invited anyone with further questions about voting to reach out to her at TownClerk@town.deerfield.ma.us. She added, “I always encourage new voters to reach out to their Municipal Clerk.”
Given the significance of the midterm elections not only for the political landscape at large but also for newly eligible voters in particular, Deerfield students should follow these instructions and further research how to register and cast their votes. For those who care about political participation, the most direct and impactful opportunity is just around the corner.