The midterm elections in the United States will be held on November 6th, and if you are not yet registered to vote or updated your voter registration, the Ross Pendergraft Library can help. We now have voter registration forms available on the first floor, across from the New Books Shelf.
To get registered and ready to perform your civic duty, simply grab a form, fill it out, slap a stamp on it, and drop it off at the post office. The campus post office is located in the Young Building, next to the bookstore. You can also turn it in directly to the County Clerk’s office at the Pope County courthouse.
Your voter registration must be turned in or postmarked by October 9th. If you are just changing your current registration to a new address, it must be received no later than 4 days prior to the next election.
If you are a college student and registered in your hometown in another county or state, you can transfer your registration to your college address. Just fill out the voter registration form with your campus current address and fill out the portion at the bottom indicating your former address. You must keep your address CURRENT on your registration, so don’t forget to fill out another voter registration form if you reside in another county or state after graduation. You can also vote absentee for your home state or county.
Remember, filling out the form and mailing it off does not mean you are automatically registered. Before considering yourself a registered voter, you must receive an acknowledgment of your registration from the county clerk–usually this arrives in the mail as a card a few weeks after you have mailed or dropped off the form.
You can also check your voting status and polling location at: https://www.voterview.ar-nova.org/VoterView/Home.do. This will tell you where to go to cast your ballot on Election Day.
**An EXAMPLE of a polling location for a registered voter residing in Russellville. Results will vary based on residence.
Who can register to vote? Any U.S. citizen who is 18 years old or will turn 18 on or before the next Election Day can register. You must also not be a convicted felony with an undischarged/pardoned sentence or a person judged mentally incompetent by a court.
If you are interested in voting, but not sure about the candidates or issues, here’s a list of sites and resources providing nonpartisan information on Arkansas and National elections on November 6th:
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Arkansas Ballot Issues – A project of the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service to provide fact sheets and education information about ballot issues.
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Arkansas elections, 2018 Ballotpedia — Includes a sample ballot and searchable site for candidates, offices, ballot measures for Arkansas. Ballotpedia is a free, digital encyclopedia of American politics and elections.
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Candidate Information from Secretary of State – The Secretary of State’s interactive search for all candidates who filed in this election. You can search by candidate, contest, location, as well as past election results.
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Vote Smart – A non-profit, non-partisan site devoted to providing information primarily about candidates including positions, voting history, campaign finances, interest group rates, speeches, and public statements.
For more information on voter registration, voting instructions, or great books on American civics, ask us at: askus@atu.libanswers.com. Remember, sometimes the path to changing the world often begins by filling out a form.
Designed by Drew Lettner for the AIGA Get Out the Vote Campaign