Welcome to the Ask Every Student Student Voting 101 Presentation!

This presentation template is part of the Ask Every Student Toolkit and was created in collaboration with the Ask Every Student 2020-2021 Codesigner Campuses.

This specific presentation was designed to be used in virtual settings like a video-conferencing platform or embedded into an asynchronous platform like a learning management system. If presented, it should be presented by individuals trained in voter registration.

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If you want to use this presentation in a setting where students do have paper forms available, you can use a paper-form friendly presentation that can be presented in any context where you can walk students through a paper voter registration form in addition to online voter registration.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to aes@slsvcoalition.org.

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Last updated March 8, 2022

How to use this template.

• First, make an editable copy of this presentation for yourself by clicking this link!
• From there you can make this your own. Feel encouraged to change any colors, text, or design elements to fit your context.

• Voter registration laws vary from state to state and campus to campus! This template has a lot of areas that you will need to add campus and state-specific information to. All customizable information {is highlighted in brackets}.
• You can use the SLSV Coalition’s Voter Access Technology Guide if you need help choosing external websites to reference.

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Last updated August 18, 2021

How to use this template (cont.).

• If you know your student body is mostly from the same handful of states, you can duplicate the slides that focus on a {campus state} and add information for the other states if you’d like. You can also cut down slides you feel aren’t necessary.
• This presentation is designed to be used in coordination with TurboVote. You don’t need to have a campus partnership with TurboVote to use this- they have a free version at turbovote.org. TurboVote is a secure product of Democracy Works, a nonpartisan nonprofit and trusted Ask Every Student partner.
• You can embed this presentation on a Learning Management System or other website! Here’s how to embed this onto Canvas and Blackboard. You can use these tutorials to learn how to access the HTML code for this presentation to embed anywhere else, too

Make sure to delete the slides that say “Delete this slide when finished” before saving your presentation!

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DELETE THIS SLIDE WHEN FINISHED

Last updated August 18, 2021

This is a non-partisan presentation.

From SLSV Coalition’s Guiding Principle “Leading Through Nonpartisanship”

We understand that participating in the democratic process is not political, it’s constitutional. We’re not about partisan politics or turning out potential voters for one party only; we focus our time and energy on supporting all voters, unconditionally. Nonpartisanship allows us to build the strongest relationships possible with community organizations and higher education institutions who are striving to improve voter access and to create opportunities for students to participate in the democratic process. We’re working to achieve full participation because we envision a democracy that is truly of all people, by all people, and for all people.

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How to be non-partisan 101

• When registering someone to vote, don’t encourage them to register for one party or another
• Don’t encourage them to vote for one candidate or another
• Don’t make statements about political parties, candidates, or issues

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DELETE THIS SLIDE WHEN FINISHED

Last updated August 18, 2021

Voting as a {Campus Name} Student 101

Voting made simple!

Hello!

I’m part of {campus voting coalition name}, an initiative on campus that’s focused on making sure every student is able to participate in our democracy!

{Share a little bit about yourself here if you are using this as a presentation, and share why you care about this.}

{You can add a photo of you or your work in the area next to this text box}

[replace this!]

Voting is a way to make your voice heard.

Civic action is individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern, or people working together to make a change or difference in the community.

Voting is a powerful tactic, but for many people it seems complicated and hard to access. Today, we are going to show you how voting can be simple!

Even if you can’t vote, by learning how to register to vote and how to vote, you can help others in your community advocate for your shared concerns!

Why are we here?

• We aren’t here to get any specific person elected, we’re here to increase democratic participation. When more people vote, elected officials have to work harder to represent their constituents and earn their votes.
• We know that {campus name} students have specific questions about voting. We can help you register to vote, re-register to change your address or political party, and support you through the voting process.
• We believe in the power of {campus name} students. Students at {campus name} have been voting at historically high rates and are creating meaningful change. {If applicable, add your voting rate from NSVLE}. Through breaking down barriers to participating in elections, we can make our voices heard!
• We can help you register to vote, re-register to change your address or political party, and support you through the voting process in a nonpartisan way.

Who can vote in U.S. Elections?

U.S. citizens who meet their state’s residency requirements (i.e. living in a place for a certain amount of time), are 18 years old on or before election day, and are registered to vote by their state’s voter registration deadline.

For citizens with felony convictions, eligibility to vote varies state to state.

We will never ask you to disclose your eligibility. You can always opt-out. Do not register to vote if you do not have U.S. citizenship status, even if you are in the process of obtaining citizenship.

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Can you register to vote if you aren’t 18 yet?

Yes! But the age that you can pre-register varies from state to state.

Data from National Conference of State Legislatures, accessed 08/12/2021

North Dakota doesn’t use voter registration at all, but requires valid ID to cast your vote.

Choosing a Political Party (It’s your choice!)

The two major parties in the U.S. are the Democratic and Republican parties, but there are many more that differ from state to state!

Other parties include the Alliance Party, Constitution Party, Reform Party, Green Party, Libertarian Party, Natural Law Party, Party for Socialism and Liberation, Working Class Party, Working Families Party amongst others.

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You can also register as an “Independent”, “Unaffiliated”, or “No Party Affiliation” if you don’t want to choose or align yourself with a party when you register to vote.

This may affect your ability to vote in primary or caucus elections. (More on that in the next slide!)

A good consideration for choosing a party is basing it off of races you feel excited about participating in!

What are primary and caucus elections?

In Closed Primaries, voters must register with a party and can only vote for candidates within that party.

In Open Primaries, voters don’t have to register with a party and may choose which party’s ballot to vote, but this decision is private and does not register the voter with that party.

Primaries and caucuses are processes by which voters can indicate their preference for their party's candidate, or a candidate in general, in an upcoming general election.

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Use the data from the National Conference on State Legislatures to find out which primary system your state uses and whether or not it would be helpful to identify with a party when registering to vote at sls.vote/state-primaries*.

Political Parties and Primaries in {Campus’ State}

In {your state}, we have a {insert primary type}, which means that… {use this link to identify the information specific to the state your campus is in and provide the information that you think students need to know.}.

Where should you register to vote? (It’s your choice!)

College students, like all individuals, are entitled to register and vote in the community that they regard as their primary or main residence.

This means that you have the option to vote either at a campus address or another “home” address.

Some Considerations

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• Which community do you want to advocate for and feel most connected to?
• Which address do you have more access to when it comes to voting?
• Where will you be living at the time of the next election?

Now - what can we do today?

After (optionally) checking your voter registration status...

If you are not registered to vote and are eligible to register, then we can help you register to vote.

If you are already registered to vote and want to change your address, name, or political party affiliation, we can help you update your voter registration.

If you want to opt-out of the voter registration process and/or are already registered with up-to-date information, this information is still good to know!

If you are eligible to vote, check your registration status through the National Association of Secretaries of State at sls.vote/checkmystatus, by selecting your state, and following the prompts.

First, check your voter registration status!

Online vs. Paper Form Voter Registration

• Online Voter Registration
• Registering online may require a state-issued ID for the state you are registering in, but some states allow you to use a social security number if you do not have a state-issued ID. (More on that next slide!)
• Online Voter Registration {is/is not} offered in {campus state}.
• Not all states offer this, but if you can, you should use this!
• Paper Voter Registration Form
• Depending on the state you are registering to vote in, you may need to know your social security number or state-ID number if you have one.
• In {campus state} you will need your {SSN and/or state-ID number}.
• {If applicable: We can help you print and mail your paper voter registration form.}

Where can you use Online Voter Registration (OVR)?

You can register to vote online in the states highlighted on this map.

This map shows which states require an in-state ID to use OVR.

Note: You can only use a touch-screen device to use OVR in Missouri.

View data in spreadsheet format, last updated August 20, 2021.

North Dakota doesn’t use voter registration and Puerto Rico only offers in-person voter registration.

Use TurboVote to register to vote!

1. Log onto {your TurboVote URL or turbovote.org} on your computer or phone.
2. Follow the prompts and enter your legal name, contact information, and the address where you want to register to vote.
3. If you are able to use online voter registration in your state and have the ID or SSN requirements needed, select “I’ll Register Online” and follow your state’s online voter registration process. Make sure to have your ID number ready!
4. If you aren’t able to register to vote online, no worries! TurboVote will populate a voter registration form for your state that you can download as a PDF.

TurboVote is a trusted and secure tool created by the nonpartisan nonprofit, Democracy Works, and sends you opt-in reminders to help you through the voting process.

Registering to vote at a residence hall?

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How to format your residential address to use on your registration:

{Residence Hall Name} {Address}

{Residence Hall Name} {Address}

{Residence Hall Name} {Address}

{Residence Hall Name} {Address}

{Residence Hall Name} {Address}

{Residence Hall Name} {Address}

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Here’s how to format your campus mailing address to use on your form.

{Add the correct formatting for campus mailing addresses here. If it’s difficult for students to receive mail, you can also add a sample formatting for the mailing address for the Center that your voter initiative is housed in.}

What happens next?

{keep this if applicable or change to your process}

If you are registering to vote via a paper form...

1. Use TurboVote to download and email your voter registration form as an attachment to {your team’s email address}.

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1. We will let you know when you can come by our office to sign your form and mail it.

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If you registered to vote today, make sure to check your registration again through the National Association of Secretaries of State in 3 weeks at sls.vote/checkmystatus.

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If it doesn’t show up, use the US Vote Foundation to contact your local election office at sls.vote/eolookup or reach out to our team at {email address}

Make your voting plan!

• Elections are happening all the time! Find out about upcoming elections for your address at vote411.org. You can find out more there about what’s on your ballot and use their voter guide to compare candidates and ballot initiatives.
• Choose to vote by mail or vote in person. Find out more about the processes, requirements, and options for both processes in your state by going to howto.vote.
• If you plan to vote in person, make sure to check your voting location ahead of time and bring ID documents with you if they are required.
• If you plan to vote by mail, request your ballot as soon as you can, track your ballot if possible, fill out your ballot and follow instructions carefully, and return it as soon as possible.
• Triple your vote! Check in with two friends or family members to make sure they’re voting, too.

Elections in {State} to watch out for in 2022

{Add in upcoming elections for your state or the location your campus is located! This can include municipal, state, and federal elections. You can also include any ballot initiatives that are relevant as well. You can also note primary election dates, special election dates, and general election dates.}

Contact us for any help at:

{Team name}

{Team email}

{Campus voting website}

{Team phone number}

{Office location if applicable}

{Office hours if applicable}