@Massmomm why would he rather vote in a solidly blue state over a key swing/battleground state??
What makes a solid blue state a solid blue state? The voters who live there! If they all vote in other states, their solid blue may fade.
@LBad96 , it’s not a question of where he wants to vote. It’s a question of where he can legally and ethically vote. He will look into registering in OH once he gets to school, but I don’t see anything in the websites posted here or elsewhere that suggest he can legally do that. All of the language looks dubious to me.
He’s only going to be in OH for a few years. It doesn’t seem fair for him to register in OH just so that he can affect this one national election and then vote on OH issues until he graduates. Most elections are local and affect those who live locally. Do you really want some MA resident affecting the outcome of some farm bill that seriously impacts an Ohio family?
@LBad96 , it’s not a question of where he wants to vote. It’s a question of where he can legally and ethically vote. He will look into registering in OH once he gets to school, but I don’t see anything in the websites posted here or elsewhere that suggest he can legally do that. All of the language looks dubious to me.
He’s only going to be in OH for a few years. It doesn’t seem fair for him to register in OH just so that he can affect this one national election and then vote on OH issues until he graduates. Most elections are local and affect those who live locally. Do you really want some MA resident affecting the outcome of some farm bill that seriously impacts an Ohio family?
@Massmomm well, whether or not he is registered in OH doesn’t actually affect me at all. But I know that in my case, I plan on remaining in NC (or at least never returning to the Northeast) after college. My vote would count far more in NC than it could ever hope to in NJ; that’s a fact. Especially considering that they have an uber-important gubernatorial election in the near future. If it wasn’t legal or ethical, the SCOTUS would never have ruled in favor of such a law.
My point is, why should I be relegated to having to absentee vote in an overwhelmingly blue state that I don’t even like versus an important battleground state that I enjoy living and going to college in?
BTW, you double posted.
In California, any checking is done behind the scenes. Utility bills and such are not required to either register or vote.
https://sfgov.org/elections/ftp/uploadedfiles/elections/VoterEducation/HowFillOutVRC.pdf
If he gives up on voting, then the state of Ohio has successfully disenfranchised him from voting where he lives at least 3/4 of the year.
He may want to look at [reply #52](If your college student wants to vote, s/he should check the rules beforehand - #53 by ucbalumnus - Parents Forum - College Confidential Forums) for ways to satisfy the voting requirements while he lives in Ohio (e.g. use an absentee ballot in Ohio, or open an online bank account (like [this one with no minimum balance](https://personalsavings.americanexpress.com/home.html)) with his Ohio address and print out the statement).
LBad, what if the situation was reverse and you permanently lived in NC but were going to school in NJ. Would you then think you should have to vote in NJ because that’s where you live on election day, or that you are wasting your vote in NJ because you are voting for a 'sure thing? (which, by the way, I don’t think is quite the sure thing you think it is) If you were planning on staying in NJ for ever and ever? If you hated NC and wanted nothing to do with it?
And what if (GASP) massmomm’s son isn’t voting the way you assume he is, if his vote would be just as valuable in MA as in OH for his candidate?
The court ruling was that a college student could establish residency in the college state and vote there, but the student has to actually comply with the registration rules. It can be done. UCB was just suggesting college students get familiar with the rules before the first Tues in Nov.
Familiarization with the rules may need to be done significantly earlier than election day, since acquiring some types of ID can take some time. For example, getting a state ID in the new state, or opening a bank account and getting the first statement, may not result in having the needed document for some time after taking that action.
@twoinanddone I can’t think of any good reason as to why anyone would ever make a move the opposite way. Going from NC to NJ would make very little sense to me.
Sorry, just had to say that.
Well, idk. Ohio is a swing state, MA is bluer than the ocean so idk how valuable a vote is in the latter in comparison to the former. Same deal with NC being a battleground state and NJ being very blue.
How would NJ not be a sure victory for the Democrats?
Regardless of whether a state is a “swing” state or not, there are people who move to each state. For example, college students from non-NJ places who choose to attend colleges in NJ may move there and live there at least 3/4 of the time they are in college.
Yes, college students and others who reside in various places through the year may have a choice of where to register and vote, and whether each location is a “swing” location may affect their decision.
A new graduate works in another state can not vote in home state unless the job is classified as temporary, according to my local BOE.
You know, there are other races on the ballot. How much the student cares about those could also be a factor in the decision of where to register. That’s just one reason why a student might opt not to vote in the swing state where they go to school (or in the swing state their parents live in, as the case may be).
Surprises happen. Years ago I lived in Maryland, a very democratic state. Never heard anyone talk about any republican candidates. Really, not a word. Election day comes and what do you know, state went republican. Even half the people I worked with voted republican, but only admitted it after the election.
It happens. Those blue states you’ve mention have/have had republican governors, senators, state officials.
I’m very interested in politics. I’d take the time to figure out how to vote where I live. I did register at college when I lived there, at grad school, whenever I move. My kids? One cares, but will probably absentee vote because we live in a swing state and her school state is not budging no matter how many students vote. The other one is in a swing state, but she doesn’t care about politics and will not make any effort to get special IDs (although I don’t think it would be hard since she lives in a house) or stand in line for hours. Kids these days!
Students should also be aware of the potential for others to challenge their right to vote at a polling place.
For example, in 2004, polling places near the University of Pittsburgh were slowed down to the point of voters waiting hours in line due to political operatives challenging every young person’s right to vote. Pennsylvania requires the challenged voter to have another voter sign an affidavit verifying the challenged voter’s identity and residency.
https://www.brennancenter.org/publication/voter-challengers has some more information on state laws regarding challenging someone’s right to vote.
If this is a concern, students who register to vote at their colleges should be prepared to handle political operatives challenging their right to vote, or consider using an absentee ballot. Actually, anyone who lives in a place where elections may be close should consider doing that.
The health insurance is easy. They can live on the moon and still be on their parents’ health insurance until they are 26. They may not find any preferred providers on the moon, but they are covered.
On the registration to vote in my state, it said that the applicant had to be a resident 22 days before the election. It reminded the the law said residents had to change their drivers license within 30 days of becoming a resident.
Most schools don’t care where the student lives for financial aid, but where the parents live. My state only gives aid to residents going to schools in the state.
My kid goes to school OOS and registered to vote in that state. She will still be OOS for tuition purposes because we ( parents) are OOS, and she can be on our insurance until she turns 26 regardless of where she lives. The insurance part is true for everybody.
@ucbalumnus - thanks for the reminder about challenges which I will pass along to my son, who, like many college students attending school in Ohio, is registered to vote there. That is totally acceptable under the Ohio voter registration rules. To avoid a crush and/or challenge at the polls on election day, early voting is probably the way to go in Ohio.
I akded early on in this thread about whether my D should change her voter registration to the swing state where she goes to school. I had no idea then how much that swing state would have swung toward one candidate. So it’s just as well she just voted by absentee ballot in our home state.