Drexel Students Plan for Election Day

Election Day is on Nov. 5 — do you may have a plan to vote? Drexel College college students can have the day without work to permit for loads of time to solid a poll in the event you haven’t already completed so. The deadline to register to vote in Pennsylvania handed on Oct. 21, however in the event you’re registered, it’s necessary to truly solid that poll.

Drexel’s Undergraduate Pupil Authorities Affiliation (USGA), together with a number of voter advocacy organizations, has held a number of tabling occasions to assist college students get registered, determine their voting registration standing, learn to vote by mail or decide what types of ID they’ll carry to vote, in addition to remind college students that they’ll don’t have any lessons on Nov. 5 to have loads of time to vote.

“I really feel like this yr I’m seeing so many extra folks registered to vote than I’ve previously years,” USGA’s Civic Engagement Vice Chair Sienna Olivieri, political science ’25, stated. “As a result of we’re in a swing state, each advert you see appears to be in regards to the election, and every single day I used to be seeing so many tables from so many nonprofits asking folks in the event that they’re registered to vote. I really feel like persons are simply able to vote and get it over with.”

Along with USGA, the Drexel Libraries and Drexel Votes have posted FAQs and guides to assist Dragons learn to make their voices heard this Election Day. Go forth and do your civic responsibility!

Casting your poll

Time is nearly as much as apply for a mail-in poll in Pennsylvania; purposes should be obtained by your county’s election workplace by 5 p.m. on Oct. 29. You may apply by mail, on-line or in-person on the election workplace. Mail-in ballots should be obtained — not merely postmarked — by 8 p.m. on Nov. 5 at your County Board of Elections workplace (mail-in ballots can’t be returned at your polling place). It’s endorsed that you simply return your accomplished mail-in poll as quickly as potential, both by mail or at a poll drop-off location. The Philadelphia Metropolis Commissioners have arrange election places of work and drop-off areas all through the town, which you’ll be able to search on their web site. When finishing a mail-in poll in Pennsylvania, remember to seal your accomplished poll within the yellow “secrecy envelope,” which matches within the bigger envelope that it’s essential to signal, date and seal. You should return your personal poll; a good friend or member of the family can not do it for you. When you’ve submitted your poll, you may monitor its standing on-line.

In the event you haven’t voted by mail previous to Election Day, you’ll be heading to your native polling place and getting into the sales space anytime from 7 a.m. to eight p.m (in the event you’re in line by 8 p.m., you will be allowed to vote). If that is your first time at your polling place, you’ll must carry some type of ID with you, which may very well be your voter registration card, Pennsylvania driver’s license, passport, financial institution assertion, paycheck and even your DragonCard, amongst others. In the event you stay in one among Drexel’s residence halls, you’ll be voting on the Drexel Recreation Heart at 3301 Market St.; in the event you stay elsewhere, verify the place you have to go.

“We’ve been serving to lots of people discover their polling location, as a result of in the event that they’ve moved, it’s probably that it modified,” USGA’s Civic Engagement Chair Victoria Rodríguez Villarreal, public well being ’25, stated. “They might need to go to the College of Pennsylvania campus space now reasonably than the [Rec Center] so a variety of college students have been confused.”

When you’re within the sales space, it’s time to solid that poll. It’s not a check, so that you’ll be capable to take a written information in with you or learn off your cellphone if you wish to bear in mind what selections you selected.

You’ll see three federal races — President, U.S. Senate and Home of Representatives — and 4 or 5 state races — legal professional normal, auditor normal, treasurer, state Home and in some districts, state Senate. If you wish to study extra in regards to the candidates in your poll, the Committee of Seventy is a nonpartisan group that shares details about Pennsylvania candidates’ backgrounds and stances and means that you can construct a poll.

Campus involvement

Simply in case you haven’t heard, Drexel college students can have the day without work, regardless that campus will nonetheless be open. USGA is encouraging college students to take that point to vote, whether or not they’re registered in Philadelphia or take a day journey again to their hometown to vote.

“Some college students have been confused about that, too,” Olivieri stated. “Places of work will likely be open, however you gained’t have class. Drexel Votes and USGA have labored actually exhausting to make this a class-free day.”

For her half, Olivieri plans to get to her polling place early and remind her pals to vote. USGA may also be a part of a number of occasions throughout Election Week, each earlier than and after Nov. 5 — one among which is able to contain donuts.

On Nov. 4, they’ll associate with Drexel’s chapter of Civic Influencers for “Donut Overlook to Vote Day,” and can hand out donuts, together with any last-minute details about polling locations or their day without work. Simply because college students are registered doesn’t imply the job is completed, and a donut is at all times an excellent incentive to get the message throughout.

On Nov. 7, USGA may also associate with Writers Room to host an occasion, “Inventive Kickback: Make Your Voice Heard,” to supply house for college kids to share and acquire their ideas surrounding the election. As a global scholar, Rodríguez Villarreal is interested by methods to make her voice heard regardless that she will be able to’t vote.

“We’re nonetheless Drexel college students and we’re nonetheless residing right here, so how can we specific the problems we care about?” Rodríguez Villarreal stated.