We are less than two months away from one of the most crucial election in American history, and if you’re anything like me, voting for the first time can be equally as exciting as it is nerve-wracking.
But realizing that I would have to vote for the first time from another country knocked that excitement out of balance and turned it into pure stress. It was overwhelming to think about finding the right forms, filling them out correctly, mailing them to the right address, and getting an absentee ballot back just to do it all over again– all while still trying to get my bearings in a new country. So much so that I sort of shoved the task to the back of my mind to figure out at a later date. Imagine my shock when I walk into the RD on a random Tuesday to find all of the answers laid out right in front of me: Vote From Abroad!
When I opened the door, I met Julia & her daughter, Caroline, two representatives from Vote From Abroad. Vote From Abroad is one of many organizations founded with the sole purpose of helping US citizens navigate the absentee ballot process while studying away. Not only do they assist in registration, they offer live Voter Help sessions via Zoom and a webpage that could answer any question you may have regarding absentee voting (including a section specifically for study abroad students)! Using the website is simple: you start by sharing which state you’d like to register in. From there, they tell you your individual state’s guidelines on registration, including when the registration is due and where to mail it to. They also have a link that allows you to check if you are already registered or not. Once you’ve completed your registration, and if your state requires it, all you have to do is print out your registration form and mail it to the address provided to you. In total, the online portion of the process is about five steps and takes less than ten minutes.
Though the website provides all of this information, Julia very kindly took me through each step manually and even provided me with an envelope to mail my form in. When I came back to the RD to mail my registration, I was also given a stamp so that the entire process was pretty much free of cost for me. By the end of it, consulting with Julia, filling out my registration and bringing it back to the RD to be mailed took less than an hour. It’s so easy that you can do it before class or during a lunch break.
Each year, the political climate of our country grows more severe and it is important to make your voice heard in order to make change. Voting is the most powerful way to do so. I urge you to do what you can for your future and the future generations we hope to bring into this world.
So why are you still reading this? Go register to vote today!