Ithaca College

2010 is an election off-year but that doesn’t mean you should take the year off! Important seats up for selection include House and Senate Representatives and some State Governors. Election day is November 2nd so now is the time to start thinking about registering to vote or requesting absentee ballots. Here's a quick primer on how absentee ballots work and how you can request your absentee ballot to participate in your state’s elections.

Generally, if you are unable to physically travel to and vote at the local polling place assigned to you, based on the address at which you registered to vote, you are qualified to vote via an absentee ballot. College students studying out of their home area are typically eligible to vote via an absentee ballot.

The rules and deadlines for each state are slightly different, so the best way to ensure that you will have access to an absentee ballot if you are registered outside the Ithaca area is to visit your state's board of elections website.

All 50 states' sites can be found at our Election Links page.

Don't delay! Most states have deadlines by which you must request your ballot and deadlines by which your ballot must be received back at the board of elections.

If you haven't registered to vote at all, it's still not too late in most states. To do so, you can either go to the website and download a New York state voter registration form -- or, for other states, a universal voter registration form -- and mail it to the indicated address. Or, you may go to 340 Egbert to pick up either form.

NY State Voter Registration Form (PDF)

Universal Voter Registration Form (PDF)

The College will mail your voter registration form for you, if you'd prefer. Drop completed voter registration forms to 340 Egbert for mailing. If you would like to register to vote in the local precinct of IC, you may register using your campus address. The polling place for those registered using their campus address is the College Circles Apartments community building.

The last day to register to be eligible to vote in the November election is October 8 in New York State. Registration forms must be postmarked by that date.

Here are links to the Board of Elections for the most requested states:

• Connecticut
• Massachusetts
• New Jersey
• New York