You’ve registered to vote, watched the campaigns unfold and waited anxiously for what some are calling the most important election of this generation. Before hitting the polls Tuesday, there are a few things you should know.
“The first thing (voters) should do is confirm they’re registered, so they don’t have any surprises when they get to the polls,” said Communication sophomore Kim Castle, the volunteer coordinator for the nonpartisan group NU Decides.
This can be done by going to voterinfonet.com, the Cook County Election Department’s Web site, or by calling 1-866-OUR-VOTE, a national hotline that is part of the Election Protection coalition.
While voters may be familiar with the national races, ballots will also include local candidates. Weinberg junior Allie Morales, the Illinois voter registration chair for NU Decides and a registrar for Cook County, suggested people come to the polls armed with information for each race on their ballots.
“You can print out a sample ballot and look through all the candidates, do some research and figure out who you’re going to vote for,” she said
The Cook County ballot is four pages long and includes candidates running for the Senate, House of Representatives, Supreme Court and Circuit Court, in addition to the presidential candidates.
“For first-time voters, I would advise them to make sure that they get a listing of the judges,” Evanston City Clerk Rodney Greene said. “They need to know what the judge stood for, what they voted for and what they voted against.”
On Election Day, polling places will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. The designated location for students living on North Campus is Patten Gym, and Parkes Hall is the spot for South Campus students. Off-campus students should check voterinfonet.com to find their assigned polling place.
Castle suggested voters plan ahead and bring something to do.
“There’s definitely a possibility of lines being long on Election Day,” she said
People who registered with a deputy registrar only need to bring a valid state-issued identification card. But for those who registered using a mail-in form, a proof of address – such as a housing contract or piece of mail with the voter’s name – must also be presented. Students voting on campus should bring their WildCARDs.
Greene warned against electioneering, an illegal activity that involves campaigning within 100 yards of a polling place. For voters, this means leaving the Obama/Biden and McCain/Palin shirts and buttons at home.
“Anything that has a political reference should be taken off,” Greene said.
Absentee voters from many states may postmark their ballots by Nov. 4. Students who bring their ballots to the Norris Box Office can receive a free stamp from NU Decides.
For those on the fence about voting come Election Day, Castle said to think about it as being the easiest way to make opinions heard.
“It can often feel like one vote isn’t going to make a difference,” she said. “But the fact of the matter is if 1,000 or 10,000 people all think that, it makes a huge difference.”
