<p>I'm getting ready toleave for school in a couple of weeks, and haven't yet registered to vote. Should I register at home or in my college town?</p>
<p>You need to consider a couple of things, the first being whether or not you can even register at college, since in most states, dorms do not qualify as "permanent residences". The second consideration is taxes, moreso for your parents than anything else. If they're claiming you as a dependent because they're covering some or all of your expenses, they may not be able to do so were you to register to vote out of state.</p>
<p>You should register at home and then vote by mail if you are not close enough to go to your assigned polling place.</p>
<p>And consider how close the elections will be in each state. If you're a Democrat, you're vote will make more of a difference if you vote at your school in, say, Florida than at home in New York.</p>
<p>Well, I go to school in my home state, but a different county, and I registered to vote in my home county. It's not that far away so I just went there on vote day. That was when I lived in the dorms though. Now that I have permanent housing in the form of an apartment and will put this address on my drivers license when I renew it next month, I will be changing my voters registration to here instead.</p>
<p>I voted last year at home in Georgia but my vote doesn't count there since it's the deepest, darkest parts of the KKK world- so I'm registering in Massachusetts this year. My best friend did the same from Texas.</p>
<p>Your vote won't count in Mass. either.</p>
<p>Local elections it will. A Democrat will win, but which Democrat is the question. Democrats don't even run in my county and half the elections are uncontested. Voting isn't just about governor and president you know...</p>
<p>Personally, I would register in whichever place you feel more strongly about the issues/where you think your vote would have the impact you want.</p>
<p>For me, I go to Duke so I obviously registered in Durham country to (attempt to) vote out Mike Nifong because it was an issue I was very attached to, but now I am registered in my hometown because in the general scheme of things what goes on here affects me more personally.</p>
<p>Just do what you want.</p>
<p>if u go to school in a swing state vote there... otherwise vote in home state (unless ur a democrat from georgia or a republican from vermont... wait i guess there arent any of those</p>
<p>Vote wherever you're going to know the most about the elections and the candidates. I come from a small, small town, so I know a lot of the candidates for local elections (or know of them), and so I stick with my home registration. But since I go to school in the same state in which I live, in the big elections I'm voting for the same people at either place.</p>
<p>"I voted last year at home in Georgia but my vote -doesn't count-"...
"Your vote -won't count- in Mass. either."...</p>
<p>Sigh, so this is the next generation...</p>
<p>Unless you or your parents have bought property at school, stick with home registration and vote absentee. Local/State government elections affect you much more than the presidential election ever will.</p>
<p>If you don't plan on returning to your home state after college though, I don't think the local elections really matter much anymore. That was actually one of the reasons why I considered switching.</p>
<p>" "I voted last year at home in Georgia but my vote -doesn't count-"...
"Your vote -won't count- in Mass. either."...</p>
<p>Sigh, so this is the next generation..."</p>
<p>If there's no Democrats to vote for or the races are uncontested (as all my home local politics are), please explain to me how my vote would count? I refuse to vote for the pro- radical growth and completely inept at city planning candidates my local election throws at me. I have the choice of voting for candidates in my school's district where there is active political participation and often several candidates of all parties, or not voting at all in my home district because there is no one I support. Which is better? Yeah. Thought so. </p>
<p>I also actively work in local politics around my school so that affects me and my work much more than a town I will never spend more than 3 weeks at a time in again.</p>
<p>I recall a story of a student who got in financial problems, can't remember if it was his taxes, or his parents taxes or maybe it was his state scholarship/loan/grant program. But there was a loss of money all because he registered to vote at his college Whatever it was - registering to vote at school had some serious implications.</p>
<p>Maybe it's okay if you're renting an apartment, have a job and paying those state taxes anyway. </p>
<p>Just make sure none of your financial aid is attached to your home state.</p>
<p>Shame, many away from home students are stuck with using absentee ballots.
Doesn't feel the same as standing in line and pulling the lever.</p>