VOTE on November 8!
The Paper Tiger Online encourages all students and faculty at Lick to vote in this upcoming election. No matter the party you favor, voting is one of the most important ways one can contribute to our society.
Register to vote by October 24: To make it easier for anyone who has yet to register to vote, we’ve created a step by step guide.
If you’ll be 18 by the election date, November 8, then you’re qualified to vote in the upcoming election. The deadline to register is on October 24. You can register online through: http://registertovote.ca.gov. The registration process should take ten minutes or less. To make the process as efficient as possible, make sure you have at hand your California drivers’ license or California identification card number and the last four digits of your Social Security before starting to register.
Guide to register to vote:
On the first page, you will be asked your current status as a U.S. citizen, as well as where you reside.
Afterwards, you’ll be asked a set of basic questions regarding information about your address, age, email address, and more. This is also when you’ll need your driver’s’ license or ID card as well as the last four digits of your Social Security number.
At the bottom of the page you’ll have the choice of whether or not you want to disclose your political party preference. If you select “No, I do not want to disclose a political party preference” a note will pop up stating, “If you select no, you may not be able to vote for some parties’ candidates in a primary election for the U.S. president or party committee.”
Since California has the “Top Two Open Primary” system, voters can vote for any Primary candidate in statewide, congressional, and legislative contests regardless of if they’re registered with a party or not. In a general election your party registration doesn’t matter, you can vote for a candidate from any party.
The next step is to select whether or not you’d like to be a vote-by-mail voter. Being a vote-by-mail voter means that your ballot will be mailed to you prior to the election and all you need to do is mail back your ballot filled out. (Be sure to sign the back of the envelope.)
A common problem for voters who vote by mail is that they mail their ballot back too late so the ballot isn’t counted; if you are planning to vote by mail be sure that your ballot is postmarked by Election Day and is received by your county election office three days after the election. If you do register as a vote-by-mail voter and wish to switch back to a polling place voter you can contact your county election office or simply submit a new voter registration application. If you’re not a vote-by-mail voter and want to be, you can request a “vote by mail” ballot, but make sure you submit your request at least seven days prior to the election.
IF YOU VOTE BY MAIL — BE SURE TO SIGN THE BACK OF THE YELLOW RETURN MAILING ENVELOPE IN THE BOX PROVIDED or your vote will not be accepted.
On the same page you’ll also get the chance to sign up as a volunteer on Election Day, either as a poll worker or someone who will provide a polling place. If you do choose to volunteer as a poll worker or someone who will provide a polling place, you will be notified by your city’s Department of Elections to take a short assessment exam and you will be interviewed. Lastly, at the end of the page there is a short affirmation making sure that you are qualified to vote this election.
Finally you’ll be asked to review all the information you’ve supplied and make sure it’s all accurate. If you find something that is incorrect, you’ll have the option to go back to previous pages and make edits accordingly. At the bottom of the page there’s a submit button where you will finalize your registration application. Then you’ll be brought to a new page where you’ll have the chance to save a PDF version of your receipt as well as have it emailed directly to you.
Don’t forget to register by October 24.
VOTE! TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8!
Great job getting the word out!
Vote16/Center/Admin is hosting a booth in the foyer on Monday so students can register.