Central Civics

The 2024 election which will be held on November 5 is a general election. Not only is this year the year we will be electing the next President, but we will also be voting on all of these offices:

• 33 U.S. Senators including a new Michigan U.S. senator
• All 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives
• House Representatives in many states, including all 100 Michigan House Seats
• Many local offices and judges
• Ballot initiatives in many states

In an election, we vote to elect people, whether at the national, state or local level, who represent us. Those representatives will then be voting on issues that will impact us, whether it is college affordability, healthcare, racial justice, zoning laws in the city in which you live, etc. Who is elected and the votes they take will affect you, now and in your future. What are the issues that are most important to you?

Young adults, including college students, make up one of the biggest and fastest-growing voting groups in the United States. This means you have a tremendous potential power to make a difference in the decisions, and thus the issues, that will affect your future.

Every vote matters! Both the national and state legislatures have slim margins, meaning your vote can help determine the balance of power in those governing bodies. Elections can be decided by a few votes; a recent Mt. Pleasant election was a tie, and the candidates had to flip a coin to see who would get the position.

You vote is your voice!

Your vote matters!

Voting is the way to make your voice heard!

In order to vote in an election, whether in Michigan or in any other state (except North Dakota), you must register to vote.

If you are a Michigan resident, you will need to decide whether you want to register at home or in Mt. Pleasant. If you are an out-of-state student, you will need to decide whether you want to register in your home state or in Mt. Pleasant.

Michigan residents with a valid driver’s license or state ID and the last four digits of your social security number can register online at www.Michigan.gov/vote up to October 22. After that, you will need to register in person at your clerk’s office or Secretary of State office, anytime, even the day of the election, by bringing proof of residency.

If you are an out-of-state student, you can check your state’s voter registration requirements at www.vote.gov and follow those guidelines or register in Mt. Pleasant using your current Mt. Pleasant residence as your address and following those guidelines.

As an out-of-state student, you do not need to change your driver’s license to Michigan.

Once
you are registered to vote in Michigan, you have three options to choose from
as to how/where to vote:

On Election Day:

You can vote in person on Election Day, November 5, 2024, at the polling location where you are registered, from 7am to 8pm, bringing with you a photo ID (driver’s license, state ID, student ID, or passport).

During Early In-Person Voting:

You can vote during early voting in person, nine days or more depending on upon where you are registered. Check with your local clerk for days, times and location at www.Michigan.gov/vote and click on early voting.

Absentee / Mail In:

You can request an absentee ballot be sent to you at your current address in Mt. Pleasant. When it arrives, you complete it and either mail it, put it in your town’s (where you are registered) drop box or deliver it in person to your clerk. You can track your ballot and find your clerk’s drop box at www.Michigan.gov/vote.

Now that we are within five weeks of the Election it’s important for you to make your voting plan.

• Do you plan to vote in-person on Election Day, Vote in-person during Early Voting, or vote using an absentee ballot?
• If you are voting on Election Day, so you know where to vote?
• If you are voting in Early Voting, do you know where to vote and which day you are going to vote?
• If you are voting absentee, you need to apply for your absentee ballot NOW.

Have you checked out who and what is on your ballot? If not, the next drop down menu can help you do that!

In order to find out what you will be voting on, go to www.Michigan.gov/vote, click on “Your Voter Information,” fill out the form, and then click on “Ballot Preview” which will show you the ballot where you are registered.

Once you know what is on your ballot, it is important to be an informed voter when making your selections. There is an excellent non-partisan resource which will allow you to read about and compare candidates and give you the pros and cons of the issues on your ballot, whether they are national, state, or local.

Visit vote411.org to learn more.

If you are reading other news articles, be a critical consumer of the information. Who is the source?

Who funds them? What might their motivation be? Compare their information with information from other sources on the same topic.

If you have registered an absentee ballot and received it, remember to fill it out and put it in the mail by October 14 for best chance of it arriving on time.

If you haven’t registered to vote, there is still time in order to be able to vote in the General Election on November 5!

Up through Tuesday, October 22, you can still register to vote online as long as you have a valid Michigan driver’s license or state ID. After, that, you will have to visit your city or township’s clerk in person to register by bringing proof of residency.

By now, you should have submitted your absentee ballot. How do you know it was received to be counted?

In order to track your ballot, go to www.Michigan.gov/vote, click “Your Voter Information,” fill out the form, and then on your clerk’s page you will find tracking information for your ballot. It will list when your clerk sent you your ballot and when they received it from you.

If they haven’t received your ballot or if that information is not there, contact your clerk (contact information on the same page).

Early voting is the opportunity in Michigan to cast your ballot just as if it were on Election Day – fill out the ballot on site and feed it through the tabulator. The minimum required days of early voting in Michigan is nine, although some municipalities will have more. To learn more, go to www.michgan.gov/vote and click on Early Voting.

Nine days of early voting begins in Mt. Pleasant and Union Township (in Powers 136 on CMU’s campus) and other Isabella County townships (at the Commission on Aging) on Saturday, October 26; however, check with your city clerk to see if your early voting starts earlier and where it will be located. Remember, you can only do early voting in the city or township where you are registered.

If you have not yet voted by absentee or in early voting, today is the day!

We encourage you to do so as this is the way that your voice is heard. If you have any questions, feel free to contact the Volunteer Center at 989-774-7685 or the clerk in the city or township where you are registered.

Happy Voting!

Check out the Volunteer Center on Engage Central to find all events, including Central Civics. We also encourage students to follow the Volunteer Center on Facebook, Instagram, and X at @CMUVolunteers to stay up to date.

To be an eligible voter in Michigan, you must be:

• A U.S. Citizen
• At least 18 years old when you vote
• A resident of Michigan (at the time you vote)
• A resident in your city or township for at least 30 days (when you vote)
• Not currently serving a sentence in jail or prison

Learn more about change of address requirements, visiting the Secretary of State's office, and updating your drivers license.

Residents of Michigan are encouraged to register to vote online, within at least 14 days prior to the next election.

Residents within 14 days of the next election will need to visit the Clerk's office in the community they wish to register to vote in.

Out of state voters are encouraged to visit vote.org to learn more about individual state voting laws.

Check your Michigan voter registration online today!

Check your out-of-state voter registration online today!

To find out what's on your ballot, check out Vote411, a non-partisan resource powered by the League of Women Voters.

Learn more about Michigan election laws and voting.

All Michigan residents can vote absentee by mail without an excuse or a reason. Michigan registered voters can request an absentee ballot online.

Voters can return their absentee ballot to their Clerk's office via dropbox, or by mail at least two weeks prior to an election to avoid postal delays.

Michigan absentee ballot postage is pre-paid.

Out of state voters can visit vote.org to learn more about requesting an absentee ballot in the state they are registered in.

According to new Michigan election law, voters are now able to vote in-person for nine days prior to election day. Learn more about early voting and find your early vote location today!

Find your Michigan polling location.

Michigan needs election inspectors (poll workers)!

Democracy MVP is the state of Michigan's non-partisan poll worker program. College students can sign-up, get trained, and get paid to serve in a Michigan election.

Learn more about getting signed up today.

Have a question that we didn't answer?

Michigan.gov/vote has a list of frequently asked questions that might be able to help. Or, email volunteer.center@cmich.edu and we will do our best to help you.