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Voting 101

Voter Education & Motivation

A General Guide to Voting as a UMD Student

terpsvote.umd.edu

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What do you care about?

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  • ​

What do you care about?

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  • Racial Justice and Policing
  • LGBTQ+ Rights
  • Reproductive Health Care
  • War and Global Human Rights
  • Climate Change
  • Freedom of Speech

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How do you make positive change around the things you care about?

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  • Posting to Social Media
  • Signing Petitions
  • Participating in Protests and Rallies
  • Contacting your Representatives
  • Talking to Friends and Family

All of these actions are important and can be effective!

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What about voting?

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Racial Justice and Policing

Oversight of police is done at the local level by attorney generals, police boards, and other elected officials.

Local officials decide whether the police budget is shared with other social services and who responds to emergencies (Ex: Mental Health)

Judges are responsible for police accountability–but people vote in judicial races at significantly lower rates!

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LGBTQ+ Rights

School boards decide what is taught in schools regarding gender and sexuality, and what books are in school libraries.

State legislators and governors determine access to gender-affirming care and public education standards.

Local library boards determine whether books can be banned, restricted, or protected.

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Reproductive Health Care

Governors and state legislatures determine what kind of reproductive health care is accessible and to whom.

State supreme courts determine the laws and legal precedents surrounding reproductive healthcare.

Depending on who is in Congress there could be a national protection or ban, and the White House and Supreme Court could change what is legal nationally.

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War and Global Human Rights

The president has the power to influence leaders of other nations. The president also appoints ambassadors to other nations.

The president can make executive orders that change the way federal agencies use their resources and implement laws/

Congress decides whether and how much money is sent to other countries for military and humanitarian purposes.

Local elected officials determine what kinds of statements are made about the will of local residents and the freedoms and protections of people in their jurisdictions.

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Climate Change

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Free Speech

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What percentage of eligible UMD students do you think voted in 2020?

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of eligible students voted on Election Day.

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71.3%

of eligible students voted on Election Day.

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46.0%

of eligible students voted on Election Day.

60.4%

of eligible students voted on Election Day.

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29.9%

2020

2018

2016

2022

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What stops more students from voting?

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  • Lack of information
  • Unable to get to polling place
  • Issues with voting by mail
  • Feelings that their votes do not matter

Frustration ≠ Apathy.

The Student Vote is Powerful!

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  • State and local elections are important too and have direct impacts on your lives

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  • If you live on campus or in College Park you can register using your local address

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  • You can register at your permanent home address and vote-by-mail

Your vote matters & You have options!

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Register and vote in College Park!

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Do you prefer to make an impact in your new/current College Park community, where your vote will impact current and future students?

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Register and vote at home!

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Do you want to continue to invest your resources to the community where you may have grown up and where your parents may live?

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Where Should I Vote?

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  • Be a U.S. citizen
  • Be a Maryland resident
  • Be at least 16 years old, and at least 18 years old by the next general election
  • Not be under guardianship for mental disability
  • Not have been convicted of buying or selling votes
  • Not have been convicted of a felony, or if you have, have completed serving a court ordered sentence

To register in Maryland you must:

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What could you see on your ballot?

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  • President: The U.S. president is the chief executive for the country. Presidents lead the nation’s military and have the power to appoint their entire cabinet, including the Attorney General, the Secretary of State, and the Treasury Secretary. They have the power to veto congressional legislation. Presidents also represent the U.S. to governments abroad, lead foreign policy, and command the military.

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  • Governor: State governors are the main executives overseeing entire states and state governments. They typically serve four-year terms. Governors propose state budgets and work with state legislatures to pass legislation that affects people in their state. Governors generally have veto power over their state legislatures. They also have the power to declare states of emergency and make executive orders.

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Executive Branch

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  • County Executive: County executives oversee counties in an executive capacity. They work with the county council and other government officials to pass legislation and craft budgets. County executives may also have the power to declare states of emergency and make executive orders. If there is a county police department, county executives generally appoint the chief of police, who oversees law enforcement.

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  • Mayor: Mayors serve cities in an executive capacity, working with the city council and city manager to pass legislation, approve budgets, and monitor public safety. Sometimes, mayors have the power to veto or overturn decisions and legislation passed by the city council. Mayors are usually the people who appoint police chiefs to manage law enforcement in the city.

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Executive Branch

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  • U.S. Senator: There are 100 senators in the U.S. Senate; two for each state. They serve six-year terms and have the power to write, introduce, and pass legislation. Along with the House of Representatives, the Senate is in charge of creating and passing the federal budget. Senators also confirm federal judicial nominations. Any judge or justice sitting in a federal courtroom is appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. Senators also confirm cabinet nominations made by the president.

  • U.S. Representative: Congressional representatives are elected to represent districts from their state in the House of Representatives. These districts are determined by the population of each state, city, and county. There are currently 435 representatives in Congress who each serve two-year terms. They have the power to write, introduce, and pass legislation that affects the whole country. Congress is also responsible for planning and crafting the federal budget, which includes funding for the military and federal departments.

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Legislative Branch

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  • State Senator: State senators represent their constituents in the state legislature, which functions differently in each state. They work with delegates and the governor to pass legislation and craft state budgets, which affect funding for schools, infrastructure, and health services.

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  • State Delegate: State delegates are representatives from districts across the state in the state legislature. They serve for different term lengths, depending on the state. They work with state senators and the governor to write, introduce, and pass legislation that affects everyone in the state. Additionally, they help craft and pass state budgets.

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  • City/County/Town Councilmember: City/County/Town Council members are elected representatives who govern a municipality. They adopt the city budget, create city ordinances, set sewer, water, and tax rates, and overall exercise a local municipality’s legislative powers.

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Legislative Branch

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  • District Attorney: District attorneys are responsible for bringing charges against arrested people and prosecuting criminal cases in court. Depending on the jurisdiction they serve, district attorneys may also oversee other prosecutors or a full department of prosecutors and deputy district attorneys.

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  • Circuit Court Judge: In some states, like Maryland, state circuit judges are appointed by the governor and later confirmed by the public via elections. There are eight circuits in Maryland and these courts evaluate certain serious criminal and civil cases. They also hear appeals from the lower district courts. Depending on the nature of the case, cases in the circuit court can be decided by a judge or a jury.

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  • District Court Judge: District court judges oversee civil trials, criminal trials, and pre-trial proceedings. They also manage the selection of juries, the instructions jurors receive throughout a trial, pleas in criminal cases, and sentencing the defendant if a trial results in a conviction.

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Judicial Branch

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Register to vote on TurboVote: umd.turbovote.org

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If you are eligible to vote:

  • Identify how you plan to vote: By mail, early voting, in-person voting
  • Make a plan for how you will get to the polls if you are voting in-person
  • If you plan to vote by mail, make a plan to request your ballot and return it by the deadline

Make a Plan to Vote

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  • vote411.org
  • ballotpedia.org

Learn What Candidates and Issues are on Your Ballot this November!

Make your plan to vote!

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Questions? Looking to get involved? Reach TerpsVote at terpsvote@umd.edu and follow us on instagram @terpsvote!