Election 2022: A Guide to Registering to Vote

With election day on the horizon, students on campus might be navigating how to register to vote before the Oct. 1 registration deadline in Illinois.

The Phoenix has broken down how students in and out of state can register to vote for Election Day on Tuesday, Nov 8. 

There will be contests for a slew of public offices, including gubernatorial races, Senate races, contests for the House of Representatives and eight others in Illinois, according to Ballotpedia.

Loyola’s non-partisan campaign organization, in 2020, Loyola had the highest voter registration and voter turnout rate of any four year institution in Illinois. In 2020, 85% of Loyola students registered to vote which was 8.9% higher than other institutions in 2020, according to Loyola Votes.

How do I register to vote?

In order to register to vote in America, you must be at least 18-years-old by election day, be a U.S. citizen and have lived in your precinct for at least 30 days prior, according to Loyola Votes.

The Illinois Board of Elections gives access to register to vote or to update current registration. Loyola Votes provides a resource to quickly register to vote from any state.

To check registration status, Loyola Votes recommends students check through vote.org, a non-partisan organization that provides a voter guide for every state. 

College students cannot register at both their school and in their home state. However, students are welcome to vote either at their campus residence or at their home residence, according to Loyola Votes. The university has provided a list of addresses students can use if interested in registering to vote at their campus residence. 

In what ways can I vote?

Students are able to vote by mail, absentee ballot by mail, in person on election day, or in person before election day, according to Loyola Votes.

To vote by mail, request a ballot by Nov. 3 in Illinois, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections. Voters residing outside of their home state can vote by mail according to your state’s absentee ballot rules. While most state’s deadlines are in Oct., Loyola Votes recommends checking each state’s deadline as soon as possible to have plenty of time to plan for your state’s deadlines. 

Sample ballots are a way voters can get a sense for what candidates will be on the ballot in their area.

People unable to vote at their home voting location are able to request an absentee ballot mailed to them as long as it is requested by their state’s deadline. People can fill out the ballot and mail it back, drop it off in a drop box, or return the ballot in person, according to Loyola Votes. 

Applying to vote by mail is available and must be received by the Election Authority no later than Nov. 3, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections.

How do I vote in person?

Both Loyola’s Lake Shore Campus (LSC) and Water Tower Campus (WTC) are registered polling locations, according to Hale. However, students who register at Loyola should still check their polling location. 

For Illinois residents voting in-person on Tuesday, Nov. 8, appointed polling locations can be found by searching the zip code on the Illinois polling place lookup. The Illinois polls, including those on Loyola’s campuses, will be open from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m., according to the Illinois State Board of Elections.

At LSC the polling location is in Centennial Forum Student Union, located on the first floor of Merz Hall. At WTC, the polling location is in Maguire Hall, on the corner of East Pearson St. and North State St., according to Loyola’sWebsite. 

Tori Golden, one of the faculty advisors of Loyola Votes, said she is excited about the number of students registering to vote.

“Make a plan and know what you have to do to actually vote,” Golden said. “It’s one thing to be registered, but it’s really important to vote in these elections as well.”

Why should I vote?

“Every branch of government is important; every election is important. The local municipal election coming up in February is just as important in Chicago,” Philip Hale, Loyola’s vice president of government affairs and civic engagement, said.

Loyola Votes workers encourage students to vote.

“Voting is important and it is something that gives students a voice to shape their future and registering to vote is a simple step in making your voice heard,” Amber McCormack, a student worker for Loyola Votes, said.

Featured image by Austin Hojdar | The Phoenix