A Student’s Guide to Voting in the 2018 Midterm Elections

The 2018 midterm elections are on November 6 - just five weeks away.

While midterms are usually quieter affairs than presidential years, this year's elections are likely to see higher-than-normal engagement, with energy on both sides of the political divide.

Whether that engagement will trickle down to college students is an open question. Various studies show that less than one-quarter of eligible college students vote in midterm elections.

Amber Abbas, Ph.D., assistant professor of history at Saint Joseph's University, think it's time for students to get involved.

"There are a number of reasons why it's important for college students to vote," Abbas says. "As U.S. citizens, it is important for all of us to participate to engage with the mechanisms of a democratic system based on a one-person, one-vote model. Also, young people tend not to vote in large numbers, but they could make a difference, especially in tight races for both parties."

And here's the good news for students: Whether you're from Pennsylvania or elsewhere, there is still time to address your ability to vote. You can:

• register to vote;
• apply for an absentee ballot;
• change your residence to your campus address if you reside outside Pennsylvania but want to vote on campus and be heard in state and local elections here.

The deadline to register to vote in the 2018 midterms is quickly approaching; to be eligible, you must be registered to vote by next Tuesday, October 9, 2018. The University Student Senate will staff voter registration tables in the Campion Student Center Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. If the incentive of active democracy isn't enough, they will be giving out T-shirts and Dunkin' coupons to those who register there.

Students who don't wish to register in person can do so online. Those unsure if they already are registered to vote should check their status .

Students who can't work around their Tuesday schedule to travel to a local polling place can request an absentee ballot.The deadline to submit an absentee ballot application is one week before the election: Tuesday, October 30, 2018. The absentee ballot application can be found here.

The application requires a driver's license number, PennDOT ID number or the last four digits of one's Social Security Number, as well as a current address and reason for voting absentee. Those who don't have access to those forms of ID will need to mail a photocopy of another form of photo ID (a passport or military ID are common examples) with the application.

Upon receipt of the absentee ballot in the mail, casting a vote is as simple as filling out the form and sending the documents back in the mail. Ballots must be returned to the County Election Office in the county where one is registered no later than 5 p.m. on the Friday before election day. For this November's election, that deadline is Friday, November 2.

Students can find the address and other contact information for their registered County Election Office here .

The University will offer students many occasions to become a more informed citizen as well. On Wednesday, October 3, the History Department hosts a lecture, "The Stakes Are High: Why the 2018 Midterm Election Is Even More Important Than You Think," from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Campion Student Center's North Lounge. Andrew Arenge, of the University of Pennsylvania's Public Opinion Research and Election Studies Center, will provide data and analysis about the top stories and media environment entering the last month of the election season.

The University Student Senate will be present after Wednesday's event to provide stamps and envelopes for students to mail registration forms.

While voting can be a hassle, at times, it's important and consequential.

"It is a good idea to make voting a habit early on and stick with it throughout your life," says Abbas. "Living in a democracy is a privilege, not a right, and every individual's participation helps to keep our democracy alive."