Students can find multiple resources to prepare for voting season on Butler’s campus. Photo courtesy of kurn.org.
MOLLY DURM l STAFF REPORTER l mdurm@butler.edu
The 2024 presidential election is right around the corner which means voting season is quickly approaching. For most Butler students, this is the first presidential election that they are eligible to vote in. Many students will face the obstacle of voting while attending a university outside of their home state.
To be eligible to vote in Indiana, voters must meet these state guidelines: Must be a United States citizen, resident of Indiana, have lived in Indiana for at least 30 days before election day, cannot currently be in prison, at least 18 years old on or before election day and registered to vote before Oct. 7.
Registering to vote is a necessary step for first-time voters. Students who have voted before should also check to be sure their voter registration is up to date. The deadline to register in Indiana for the upcoming presidential election is Oct. 7. Students can verify their voter registration on the vote.gov website.
Butler students who are Indiana residents can register to vote in their hometown or university town. To register to vote in Marion County, students must present a government document confirming their Marion County residence address and an Indiana photo ID. Students can visit IN.gov to view what documents can be used to confirm an address and the ID requirements. A Butler student ID does not meet the requirements.
Voters must not be registered in more than one place. When deciding where to register, students should consider both their eligibility and the candidates on each county’s ballot. Evaluating the key issues in each location can help them determine where their vote will have the greatest impact.
Butler’s Office of Student Activities started the Dawgs Vote program to provide voting resources to students. Dawgs Vote is a non-partisan initiative aimed at increasing voter participation and helping students get involved in the election process. The program will be organizing events this fall to inform students about the issues that matter to them and provide the resources students will need to vote.
Anna Foster, a senior political science and psychology major, is the civic engagement coordinator for the Butler Community Engagement Program Council and a facilitator of the Dawgs Vote program.
“We’ll be in each college doing voter registration drives educating students on why voting is important for your major,” Foster said. “Sometimes it can be hard to know ‘how this will impact me’, or ‘why does my vote matter’, so we’ll be showing students how voting relates specifically to their major.”
Butler College Democrats will also be hosting three voter registration drives before the deadline to register. The drives will be Sept. 25 at Starbucks from noon – 2 p.m. and Oct. 1 and Oct. 3 at the gazebo from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Butler College Republicans are partnering with Dawgs Vote, and plan to host several registration events on campus in the upcoming weeks with the Indianapolis GOP.
Once registered, there are multiple ways students can vote.
In-person voting on election day in Indiana
Election day is Nov. 5. If students are registered to vote in Marion County, they can vote in person on election day at Hinkle Fieldhouse from 6 a.m. – 6 p.m. If students would like to vote elsewhere, they can visit vote.indy.gov to view other voting locations in Indiana. To vote in person, students must bring a government-issued photo ID. Students who are not registered in Marion County can travel to their home county if they wish to vote in-person on election day or in-person early.
In-person early voting in Indiana
If students are registered to vote in Indiana and unable to vote on election day or just cannot wait to get to the polls, they have the option to vote early. Early voting in Indiana starts Oct. 8 and goes until election day. Students can visit vote.indy.gov to find an early voting location.
Absentee voting or voting by mail
Students registered to vote in a county outside of Marion County or a state other than Indiana can vote through an absentee ballot. The last day to request an absentee ballot in Indiana is 12 days before the election, Oct. 24. Visit Vote.org to view other states’ deadlines, and to request an absentee ballot. Once requested, the absentee ballot will be sent in the mail. When the ballot arrives, fill it out completely and then mail it back. In Indiana, students may also hand deliver their ballot to the City-County Building, Election Service Center, any early voting location or at any vote center before 6 p.m. on election day. Absentee ballots must be received by the polls before 6 p.m. on election day to be counted.
Because digital communication is the preferred mailing method for many college students, some may not have experience physically mailing items. Dawgs Vote will provide students with the resources needed to mail their absentee ballots.
“[Starting on] Sept. 16 at the front desks of [Irwin] Library and the dorm buildings, as well as in the food pantry and the Office of Student Activities, there will be stamps available free of charge for students, especially those who are mailing absentee ballots,” Foster said.
Associate professor of arts administration Brenda Johnston explained why she believes voting is so important.
“I think it’s part of our civic duty and also a privilege we have that we get to help make these decisions,” Johnston said. “I think it’s important that — because we’re in a democratic society — that our voices get heard. I also feel like if we don’t participate, we don’t have a right to complain.”
Samie New, a senior theater major and vice president of Butler College Democrats is passionate about students using their voices to advocate for the change they want to see in society.
“You are deciding on the people who pass policies and laws that will directly affect your daily life,” New said. “So our generation needs to make its voice heard so that politicians address our concerns and priorities. No matter what your values are, you can only promote them if you go out and actually vote.”
Professor Johnston, a long-time voter, shared some advice for first-time voters.
“Really do your research,” Johnston said. “Think about what’s important to you instead of just listening to the rhetoric that’s out there. Look up information about those issues and where the candidates really stand on them. And yes, not everything is going to go the way that we wanted, but there’s a big ballot there. It’s not just the President and that one race, the local stuff is where we actually feel most of the impact.”
As students prepare to cast their vote, they can visit ballotopedia.org to better understand what exactly is going to be on their ballot.
Butler students are encouraged to take advantage of the resources available and ensure their voices are heard. Whether students choose to vote in person, early or by absentee ballot, the opportunities are there to make a difference.
