HARRISBURG – In the final weeks leading up to the General Election, Secretary of the Commonwealth Pedro A. Cortés today asked Pennsylvania’s leaders in higher education to help remind college students of the options they have in order to cast a ballot on Nov. 4.

“We want students to understand that they can register and vote where they live now,” said Cortés. “Whether they live on campus or off, they can use that address to legally vote. Students who want to vote where their parents live may register and vote there in person or by absentee ballot.

“Whichever option you choose, it is important that you register to vote by the Monday, Oct. 6, deadline. To register and vote is easy, but if you have questions, the Department of State has many resources available to help you understand the process.”

In a letter sent out today, Cortés requested presidents and chancellors of Pennsylvania’s colleges and universities assist the commonwealth in its efforts to educate students on voting in the state.

The secretary said college students can find answers to many questions in the department’s Basic Guide to Student Voting in Pennsylvania, which is available at VotesPA.com.

In Pennsylvania, a college student living away at school may register to vote in the precinct where his or her on-campus or off-campus housing is located. They may also choose to use their primary residence for voting registration purposes and may vote through an absentee ballot.  Students who register to vote should contact the county board of elections if they do not receive confirmation in 14 days of registering.

Students studying abroad may also vote in the November general election by applying for an absentee ballot. He directed students overseas to use the Federal Voting Assistance Program, www.fvap.gov, as a guide through the process.

To vote by absentee ballot, a voter must apply to the county board of elections. The board will send a paper absentee ballot to the voter, who must then complete the ballot and return it to the county by the 5 p.m., Oct. 31, deadline.   Voters should note that the absentee ballot deadlines are different for military or overseas electors.

Pennsylvanians who are voting for the first time or who changed address and are voting in a new precinct are required to provide a copy of one form of identification with their application or ballot, such as a driver’s license or current bank statement that includes the name and address of the voter.  A complete list of approved forms of identification is available through VotesPA.com.  

In order to vote, a person must be registered. To be eligible to register to vote in the commonwealth, a person must be:

• A citizen of the United States for at least one month the election date;
• A resident of Pennsylvania and of the election district in which you want to register and vote for at least 30 days before election date;
• At least 18 years of age on or before the day election.

Printable voter registration applications and contact information for county boards of elections are just two of the many resources available through VotesPA.com. Applications from eligible Pennsylvanians who need to register, change their address or change their party affiliation must be postmarked or personally delivered to the applicant’s county board of elections no later than Oct. 6.

For more information on these topics and answers to remaining questions, students can refer to the Basic Guide to Student Voting in Pennsylvania at VotesPA.com for complete details or call 1-877-VOTESPA (1-877-868-3772).