In the upcoming election, it seems that all politicians are trying to scrape up whatever votes they can.
In the midst of this, it is often important to remember just how important it is to vote simply because it is the right thing to do.
When asked why she planned to vote, Kinsey McKey, a pre-physical therapy freshman said, “It’s a right, and if I don’t vote, I abuse that right.”
While students often do not have the patience and willpower to really sit down and figure out the details of our election system, ETSU has made an effort to simplify the registration procedure.
For anyone frustrated by having to print out forms, look up information, or go to the post office, I recommend visiting the Center for Community Engagement, Learning and Leadership, or CELL, located on the first floor of the Culp University Center, between the cave and the computer lab. They have a simple form to fill out and they mail it off for you.
Time is running out to register, and all students should immediately go to the CELL. It is very easy to register there, although as the deadline to complete the paperwork approaches, things will get harder as they always do.
For Tennessee, the deadline is 30 days before whatever election you intend to participate in.
For students voting in Tennessee or Virginia, the relevant date is Oct. 6. For North Carolina, voters are given until Friday Oct. 10.
For more information about registration deadlines for other states and easily accessible online forms that only need to be completed and mailed in, visit www.rockthevote.com
Also on that Web site are T-shirts, options to donate money and a sexy picture of Sheryl Crow with a message that she wants me and my friends to vote.
Election Day is conveniently scheduled for Tuesday November 4. Students are advised to keep in mind that nothing, including school, is closed that day so this may require some planning ahead to make sure you can get to the polls between classes or jobs.
Another option is to vote absentee, which is very handy for students who can’t make it home on that particular day.
This option is unavailable to citizens who are registering to vote for the first time by mail. The government uses this rule to make sure that you are a real person (not imaginary, dead, a terrorist, etc.).
“I’m going to absentee vote, and Tennessee doesn’t actually have a specific law governing absentee ballots . you just have to provide a reason, and college is one of them,” said Bob Linam, an anthropology major from Chattanooga.
Different states do this differently, so voters should check with their local election officials to make sure they meet the requirements.
Requests for absentee voting must be received by Oct. 28. After the request is processed, the ballot is sent to the voter and must be mailed back in by the time the polls close.
There is a source of concern which has been irresponsibly floating around the media that affects student voters.
According to www.insiderhighered.com county officials near Virginia Tech issued information warning students that they may face a number of repercussions if they register to vote there.
For students, it is very easy to feel nomadic and legally misfit in the city you go to school in. Uncertainties include losing a ride on parent’s health insurance or financial aid because of tax status changes.
While they found no instances of students losing benefits, the county maintains their warning, taking a “better safe than sorry” stance.

Author