This year’s first-year class here at Seaver College has 47% of students from outside of California, Elizabeth Richter, Manager of Administrative Services, wrote in an Oct. 8 email to the Graphic. Out-of-state students would need to use an absentee ballot in order to vote.
Absentee voting provides a way for voters to cast their ballots without needing to be in-person to vote, according to the U.S. Vote Foundation.
“If you’ll be absent from your polling place, either with or without an excuse or reason, then you can vote by absentee ballot at a more convenient time,” according to U.S. Vote Foundation.
To vote absentee, there are a few steps voters need to take.
“Ensure you’re registered to vote and check your state’s voting options to see if it offers all-mail voting, no-excuse absentee voting, or absentee voting with an excuse,” according to U.S. Vote Foundation.
Voters can check their registration status on USA Gov.
There are 16 states that allow you to only vote absentee with a qualifying excuse, according to U.S. Vote Foundation. Ballot Pedia provides a list of states paired with their voting laws.
Examples of qualifying excuses include being out of the country for elections, being hospitalized or having a disability would prevent you from showing up in person to vote. Going to school in another state is counted as a qualifying excuse in certain states, according to the Connecticut General Assembly article.
Vote-by-mail ballot
There are also some states who have vote-by-mail voting for everyone, according to U.S. Vote Foundation. Some of these states include California, Oregon, Washington and Utah, according to the U.S. Vote Foundation.
“In these [vote-by-mail] states, election officials automatically send all registered voters a ballot in the mail, without waiting for the voter to submit an extra ballot request,” according to U.S. Vote Foundation.
In California, anyone who is registered to vote can use a vote-by-mail ballot in place of going to the polls, according to the Secretary of State-California article.
Sean Sieczka, Caruso Law student and president of the American Constitution Society, was in charge of tabling on Main Campus for voter registration.
When registering to vote, voters are able to opt-in to mail-in ballots, Sieczka said. There are also some states like Washington and Colorado where they automatically enroll you for mail-in ballots.
“In order to receive a mail-in-ballot in California if you’re registered to vote elsewhere, you have to de-register from the state you’re registered in,” Sieczka said. “Then you go and register to vote in California and opt in to main-in ballots.”
Register to Vote California provides access for people wanting to register to vote.
Once voters have completed their vote-by-mail ballot there are four options to submit it, according to the Secretary of State-California article. Voters can mail it to their county elections official, return it in person to a vote center, drop their ballot off at a ballot drop box or authorize someone to turn in their ballot for them.
CA Early Voting provides information about where voters can drop off their vote-by-mail ballots.
“I am planning to vote absentee,” First-year Dani Cutler said. “I still feel the need to vote, despite not being in my home state, because I want my voice to be heard, and I want to show those around me that I care about the future of our country through voting.”
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Contact Alicia Dofelmier via email: alicia.dofelmier@pepperdine.edu