USC

How to vote as a student in the November election

A guide to ensure your ballot gets counted.

The ballot box in the USC Village is the closest to campus.
The ballot box in the USC Village is the closest to campus. (Photo by Jason Goode)
By April Aguilera and Olivia Hau

The 2024 general election is just over a month away. With the deadline rapidly approaching, first-time voters may feel slightly overwhelmed.

According to a recent Harvard Youth Poll, 56% of young Americans are “definitely” planning to vote in the election. That number jumps to 72% among those already registered to vote.

But for many first-time voters, questions still remain. To ease potential confusion, Annenberg Media has put together a guide to help prepare students to head to the polls.

Registering to vote

In order to vote, students first have to be registered. TurboVote makes it easy for students to check their registration, see what’s on the ballot and request a ballot to vote by mail, regardless of their state of residence.

When choosing between voting in their hometown versus where they’re going to college, students should consider what particular issues or policies are important in either place, who is on the ballot and which location is more convenient for them.

Out-of-state students

If you are an out-of-state student and want to vote in your hometown, use your college address when requesting your mail-in ballot. Note some states allow you to change your address once per year.

Most states will allow voters who are away at college to request a mail-in ballot if they cannot vote in person. California mails ballots to all registered voters automatically.

If you will be in your hometown during the election, you can use this online polling place locator to find a convenient location.

Students studying abroad

Students currently studying abroad can find out more information on absentee voting by visiting the Federal Voting Assistance Program website.

Voting in California

The L.A. County Registrar of Voters (ROV) manages all elections and oversees voter registration, management and other election administration. The registration deadline for voting by mail is October 21, but if someone misses that deadline, they can vote on November 5 at any of the in-person L.A. County vote centers.

Eligibility requirements — such as U.S. citizenship status and being over 18— may restrict a student’s eligibility to vote.

Mike Sanchez, the senior public information specialist at the ROV, said that as long as eligibility requirements are met, anyone can register to vote at any time.

“If there is anyone who doesn’t have internet access, there are physical forms available at most government offices, and those can be returned at any time,” he said.

Sanchez also encouraged voters to make a voting plan using an online tool from the ROVs office which walks voters through the process from start to finish, sending reminders along the way.

Voting by mail

Mail-in ballots are automatically sent to every single registered voter in California by October 21. Those ballots can be mailed through the United States Postal Service or dropped at a drop box (there’s one in the Village) or vote center.

Each individual state has different tools for ballot tracking. In California, the state offers a tracking resource called “Where’s my Ballot?” Once subscribed, the site sends voters a text message or email notification when their ballot has been mailed. Additionally, when the ballot gets returned, the voter will receive a notification alerting them their vote has been counted.

“We definitely encourage folks to subscribe to that,” Sanchez said. “It really is an amazing tool to have some visibility on where the tracking is of that particular ballot.”

For those registered to vote outside of California, some states allow voters attending college out-of-state to request an absentee ballot.

Voting in person

Voting in person can be great for students who were not able to obtain a ballot or for those who missed the voter registration deadline.

If a voter chooses to cast their vote in-person, there are 646 vote centers throughout the county that will open up starting October 26.

“The in-person voting experience does take a few more steps to complete, so taking advantage of those early days where there isn’t going to be any lines or wait time certainly helps the experience for the voters,” Sanchez said.

Sanchez said to anticipate long lines on Election Day.

“If you know who you’re going to vote for and what you’re going to vote on, we encourage folks to just get that ballot back to us as soon as possible,” he said.

After you vote

Congratulations on voting!

Below is a list of additional resources to help guide you through the voting process:

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