By Kiersten Kimminau
Fall quarter is almost over…already, murder hornets are a thing, masks have become a fashion statement and despite dwindling media coverage, the pressure for social change across the U.S. is still on and yes, Black Lives STILL Matter.
On top of all this aforementioned whack-ness going on in the world, we’re about to have what could arguably be the most monumental presidential election in American history. It’s OK, don’t panic, people. To compensate for this mildly stress-inducing intro, this blog is going to be all about voting and making sure you’re ready! If you’re ready for loads of information and links upon links upon LINKS…read on.
It’s OK, don’t panic, people.
First off, if you have a short attention span, I’ll put these dates right here. If you gain nothing else from this blog, please remember these dates.
Register, Register, Register!
Next, let’s get one thing straight. These dates won’t mean diddly squat if you aren’t even, oh I don’t know, registered to vote! There are exactly three ways you can do this in Washington state:
- Register real quick online here
- Go here to print a voter registration form to mail to your county elections office
- Visit your county elections office to register in person. Find an election office in Washington State near you.
Any other question you could possibly have about voter registration is probably answered here.
Living outside of Washington state? Find deadlines and info specific to your state here.
What’s the Next Step?
Nothing. If you’ve registered in the past and participated in elections before, you’re all set! Nice work!
Kidding. That was a joke. I made a quick funny, because the truth is, you may still need to check some boxes.
That being said, your mission is to double triple check that all your voter registration is up to date.
Have you changed your name fairly recently? If yes, you’ll want to update your registration. Have you moved within the state (ex: were you were a freshman living on campus last year who has moved to off-campus housing)? If so, go here to update your information. Did you eat cereal this morning? I don’t actually care, just go update your voter registration.
Be an Informed Voter
In this upcoming election cycle, it’s crucial for all Americans to use our voices to advocate for a more equitable and just society.
To help inform voters, ASCWU Governmental Affairs has been hosting debate watch parties over the past month. If you missed the first two debates, you can still catch the remaining two on October 15th and 22nd.
Aside from watching debates, you can do a quick Google search to find more information about literally anything you could ever possibly want to know. Do your research, learn about the issues at hand and make sure you’re ready for Election Day.
Extra Information
I know I’ve unloaded a ton of information on you already. So, I’ll just leave a few more links and tidbits here for you to peruse at your leisure:
- Learn more about voting by mail here.
- See where the presidential candidates stand on key issues here.
- 2020 Voter’s Guide.
- Even more election tools.
- Save the date for the CWU Student Engagement Hub Nov. 2 (12-8 p.m.) & Nov. 3 (8 a.m. – 8 p.m.) in the SURC Ballroom. Hosted by ASCWU!
- Stay tuned for KCWU live election day programming on 88.1 The ‘Burg.
Okay, that’s all, I’m ending the blog now. It’s out of my hands. I can only hope I’ve done enough to help all you nice voters out there.
Remember, every vote counts. Together, we can decide what kind of future we want to see and champion for systemic change in our country. Let’s do this, people!
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