Questions and Answers for College Students

The right to vote is fundamental in a democratic society. The following information will help make it easy for you to exercise this right.

Where Should I Vote?

To be eligible to vote, you must be a U.S. citizen who will be at least 18 years old on Election Day, and you must also have registered to vote.

If you are in college, the following information will help you to decide whether to vote in your prior district/state or at your college address. There are many good reasons for registering and voting at either residence, but keep in mind, in most cases the final choice is really yours.

Am I a resident of my college community?

Yes. Students live in their college towns anywhere from nine to twelve months of the year, for at least four years. This means that students are no more transient than the average American family, which typically moves once every four years. Moreover, the U.S. Census Bureau considers students to be residents of their college community. Federal funds are distributed to municipalities based on figures that include the student population.

Students contribute to the college community in many valuable ways. They work as volunteers in a host of civic organizations, help to create jobs in the community, bolster the local economy, and pay sales and gasoline taxes.

Should I register and vote in my college community?

You have a vested interest in the local issues of your college community. Issues such as off-campus housing and zoning restrictions, the environment, taxes, transportation and personal safety all affect your quality of life. Voting in your college community is more convenient and relieves you of the need to apply for and return an absentee ballot.

Registering and voting at college can give you the opportunity to become involved with, and informed about, the local issues in your college town or city. Becoming involved in the issues, and learning about local politics, are some of the ways in which you can begin to build a relationship with other residents of the community. If you consider the college community your primary residence, you should vote in the community.

Every voter needs to have information about the issues and candidates. The websites listed below will provide nonpartisan information about issues and candidates.

I am currently registered at my prior address. Am I allowed to re-register in my college community instead of voting by absentee ballot?

In New Jersey, you have the right to vote in your college community, but you cannot be registered to vote in both locations.

Should I register at my parents' home?

If you don't consider your college community your primary residence and/or you have a special interest in the local issues at your old address, you have a good reason for voting there. Also, the people and issues you vote for will have a more lasting impact on you if you intend to return to that location to live.

How do I know how, when and where to register and vote?

Visit the online New Jersey Citizens Guide to Government for voter registration in New Jersey information. In New Jersey, your college may provide registration opportunities where you register for class. Also, mail-in registration forms may be found in public places, such as libraries, and you may register to vote at the office of the city/town clerk in your college community. (You must vote in the community where you are registered.)

Contact the League of Women Voters of New Jersey at 800-792-VOTE if you have any questions.

Procedures for obtaining absentee ballots are different for every state. If you are registered in New Jersey, print off the absentee voting application (PDF - requires free Adobe Reader) from the New Jersey state government website. Write to the county clerk of your primary residence either in a letter or by filling out an application form. The letter should include your name, address as registered, address to which you want the absentee ballot sent, the party ballot sought (if the election is a primary), and your signature.

If your address changes within a calendar year you must submit a new application for an absentee ballot. This is especially important for college students who are usually focused on an academic year and not a calendar year.

The parent of a student who is a registered voter in New Jersey may apply for an absentee ballot application on the student's behalf to the county clerk where the student is registered.

If you will be sending your ballot through the mail, allow enough time for your application to get to your city or town clerk and for the ballot to come to you by mail (at the address you have specified). The ballot must be received in the clerk's office before the close of the polls on Election Day.

What are the deadlines for voting absentee?

The deadlines vary in each state. In New Jersey, the deadline for applying for an absentee ballot is 3 p.m. on the day before an election, if you are both applying and voting in person. The mail-in deadline for application for a ballot is 7 days before that election. Absentee ballots are generally available three weeks before an election.

If you are returning your ballot by mail, the ballot must be received in the clerk's office before the close of the polls on Election Day.

Must my absentee ballot be witnessed?

No. With the implementation of the National Voter Registration Act, it is not necessary to have your absentee ballot witnessed.

Election and Voting Information on the Web

The League of Women Voters of New Jersey is a grassroots organization that has been providing nonpartisan information about elections and voting for over 80 years.