Voting
Once you’re registered, you can vote!
Voting In Person
- Go to the polling place you registered for during operating hours. Casting your ballot only takes a few minutes.
- Students living on campus can check this this list to determine which polling place corresponds to their address.
- Many locations offer early voting to registered voters in the days leading up to election day.
Voting by Mail
- Request your absentee ballot by the deadline. If you sign up for TurboVote, TurboVote will email and text you deadline reminders.
- Mail back your absentee ballot by the deadline.
Check mail in ballot request deadline and mail in ballot return deadlines.
Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma and South Dakota require notarization at some point in the vote by mail process. Tufts provides a free notary during election season to students who need an envelope or ballot notarized. Before making any marks on your ballot or envelope, please visit Tisch College in the Barnum Hall lobby at the times below to meet with a notary:
- October 16, noon to 1 p.m.
- October 21, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
- October 23, noon to 1 p.m.
- By appointment. To request an appointment, contact daniela.sanchez@tufts.edu.
Studying Abroad?
Eligible voters who are abroad on election day can vote by absentee ballot. For voters abroad, absentee ballots can be requested through the Federal Voting Assistance Program or directly from the election office in the city or town where you are registered to vote.
Resources
- Tufts TurboVote is a free service that will send you personalized reminders for when it’s time to request your vote by mail ballot and other election reminders
- Vote.gov: Voting as a college student
- United States Election Assistance Commission: Register and Vote in Your State
- United States Election Assistance Commission: Voting 101 – Election Information for New Voters
- Jumbo Vote is a student organization that promotes voting
Voting Rates at Tufts
Researchers at Tisch College conduct a major, nation-wide study of college student voting rates called the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement. NSLVE reviews the public voting records in all U.S. jurisdictions to see whether students at participating institutions voted during a federal election. Over 1,200 colleges and universities in all 50 states participate in the study, including Tufts. From this study, we know that Tufts students who are eligible to vote register to vote and actually vote at higher rates than the national average of college students, and that voter participation is much higher during presidential election years than midterm years. More information about Tufts voting rates from the last several federal elections is in our campus NSLVE reports.