Your right to vote as an American citizen is important to exercise. With the upcoming election in November, it’s important to have the information you need to make the best, most informed decision on who to vote for. However, it is also important to know where and how you will vote and how to get registered if you are not already.
In the state of Oklahoma, voter registration applications can be accepted at any time but must be sent in at least 25 days prior to an election in order to participate in that election. This means that you have until October 11th to get registered for this upcoming election. You can either register online through the “Online Voter Registration System,” by mail by filling out a voter registration application, or in person at your local county election board office. SNU will also be helping you register to vote on September 17th from 9 to 11 am and 12 to 2 pm at the coffee shop, Webster Commons, and in the Royce Brown lobby. Make sure you get registered and make your voice count!
Once you know you’ve registered, the next step is to find out where you can go vote when the time comes. You can find your polling place and hours by contacting your state or territorial election office. You can also find out your polling place by checking your voter registration. Your polling place is going to be based on your residential address. For those who are living out of town from their home state, there are still options for you to exercise your right to vote. You can use absentee voting or mail-in voting. However, there are deadlines and rules you have to abide by, and they vary from state to state. There is also the option of updating your voter registration details to the Southern Nazarene University address at https://vote.gov/.
The candidates running for president in the 2024 presidential election are Donald Trump, the Republican candidate, Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate, and third-party candidates, Cornel West and Jill Stein. As you go into making your choice on who to vote for, make sure you do your research on each candidate and the policies that they stand for. You can go to the official candidate’s websites to read about their platform, policies, and past achievements to get more inclined with who you are voting for. Make sure you’re following local news coverages, debates, and interviews, and are staying on top of hot topics and issues, so you’re able to make an informed decision.
According to a recent poll, out of 10 SNU students, 8 of the students were registered to vote. One SNU student voiced that they weren’t registered to vote because they didn’t know how to register and didn’t see the point in voting. Another SNU student said, “Being from out of state, I didn’t know how I could vote or where to go to vote while I’m here in Oklahoma.” This lack of information for students leads them to miss out on opportunities to be a voice in the government and have an influence on policies that could have an effect on the future of their community and country. So, it is important to do what you can to exercise your right to vote, but to also do your part in researching the candidates on the ballot to ensure you make the best decision, not only for yourself but for the future of others. Happy voting!
Photo by Chris Robert on Unsplash