Addi Casada  reporter

Voting is the foundation of democracy and gives citizens the power to decide what the future will hold for their town, state, or country. Despite this significance, there is a trend in young voters who think that young people don’t vote, but this isn’t the case. According to Circle, Gen Z voters had a higher turnout rate in the 2020 Presidential election than it had been the previous six years.  

For many student voters across the country, confusion occurs with where they should vote—their college or hometown. If it is important to an individual to vote where they are from, the option for an Absentee/Mail-In ballot is available at the voter registration website, ksvotes.org. Simply follow the on-screen directions any day before Oct. 30, 2024, and your mail-in ballot will be delivered to your dorm, apartment, or house in time for the election. For those who would prefer to vote in-person but are too far from home to drive back for one day, it’s simpler than most would probably think. In Kansas, there is no required amount of time to live in a certain place to register to vote there. This means, by going to the previously mentioned website, all a student must do is request to change their address to their temporary college address.  

To register to vote in Kansas, you must be a U.S. citizen, live in Kansas, be eighteen years old at the time of the election, and have carried out any previous felony conviction charges. Voters also must be registered on or before Oct. 15, no matter what way someone is choosing to do so. On voting day, Nov. 5, all anyone is required to bring is a valid state or school-issued ID.  

Some assume that you must be associated with a party to vote. This isn’t the case, however, unless you would like to vote in primary elections. Anyone who wishes to vote independently can but register as “Unaffiliated.” If any of this process is confusing, there are several resources on campus and in the community that are there to help. For example, W.A.V.E. is a group that focuses primarily on helping college-aged women register to vote. The organization “Loud Light,” based in Topeka, currently has two Pitt State students that help students throughout the entire registration process leading up to the Presidential election. It is an easy process and only takes a few minutes.  

In the state of Kansas, voter registration among 18–19-year old’s is already up by 3% since the 2018 primary election, according to Circle. This shows a growing trend of young adults engaged in the electoral process. Because of student organizations and schools working to highlight the importance of voter registration, young voters are more informed and prepared than ever to participate in future elections.