On Aug. 13 the first group of students will move into their dorms on App State’s campus. As they wander around and get acquainted with their new surroundings, one man said he plans to meet as many as he can.
Bill Ellis, 64, lives in Watauga County and has actively registered voters across the country since 2000. Most recently, he has helped App State students register to vote.
“It’s not enough now for people like me to just sit back and vote,” Ellis said. “That’s why I’m doing it.”
For many students on campus, Nov. 5 marks the first presidential election they are eligible to vote in. The deadline to register to vote is 5 p.m. on Oct. 11. Volunteers across Watauga County said they will be on campus until the deadline to help students register to vote.
Who can register to vote?
Eligible voters must be citizens of the United States and must be 18 years old by Nov. 5, which is Election Day. They must be registered and living in the county they intend to vote in for at least 30 days before Election Day.
How do I register?
Voters can register online or in person through their local DMV or by mail.
In Watauga County, volunteers with the county Democratic Party can be found around campus during the registration period helping students register to vote. Forms to register or update registration by mail in North Carolina are offered in English and Spanish.
“Voter registration is particularly important because it’s often the first step to political engagement among potential voters,” said Bricca Sweet, the volunteer director for the Watauga County Democratic Party.
To register to vote, voters must sign a form attesting certain personal information is true, including:
- The voter’s legal first and last name
- The voter’s birth date
- The voter’s driver’s license number or social security number
- The voter’s residential address
- The voter’s mailing address
Voter registration forms require that both residential and mailing addresses are listed, especially if the two addresses are different. For students living on campus, their residential and mailing addresses are typically different and are required to be included in both.
Matthew Snyder, the director of elections on the Watauga County Board of Elections, said both of these addresses must be included to verify eligibility to vote.
“The residential ties you to where you should be voting and what ballot you will be getting,” Snyder said.
The mailing address can be from anywhere in the country where it is deliverable, Snyder said. The Watauga County Board of Elections will contact registrants if mail is sent back undeliverable.
The Office of Community-Engaged Leadership maintains a list of residential addresses for each dorm on App State’s campus as a part of their App Votes campaign.
- Appalachian Heights Hall: 536 Bodenheimer Drive
- Appalachian Panhellenic Hall: 949 Blowing Rock Road
- Belk Residence Hall: 207 Stadium Heights Drive
- Cone Residence Hall: 135 Brown Street
- Doughton Residence Hall: 222 Hardin Street
- Frank Residence Hall: 199 Stadium Heights Drive
- Dogwood Residence Hall: 230 Hardin Street
- Laurel Creek Residence Hall: 212 Stadium Heights Drive
- Living-Learning Center: 301 Bodenheimer Drive
- Elkstone Residence Hall: 170 Locust Street
- Mountaineer Residence Hall: 71 1 Poplar Grove Road
- Mountain Laurel Residence Hall: 949 Blowing Rock Road
- Newland Residence Hall: 243 Stadium Heights Drive
- New River Residence Hall: 161 Stadium Heights Drive
- Raven Rocks Residence Hall: 176 Jack Branch Dr
- Summit Residence Hall: 240 Locust Street
- Thunder Hill Residence Hall: 228 Stadium Dr
- White Residence Hall: 140 Brown Street
Ashley Vinson, the associate director at the Office of Community Engaged Leadership, said it is important to have lists like this to provide students with the information they need to vote.
“We want to make sure all students have the information they need to make a voting plan,” Vinson said.
Voters can also provide demographic information about themselves including race, gender, ethnicity and political party affiliation, but these are not required elements to register.
Previously registered voters can update their registrations when they move or change addresses.
To update registration, voters must sign forms attesting to their name, address and party affiliation.
When can I register to vote?
Voters may register during the early voting period if they complete same-day registration. Same-day registrants are required to provide documentation with proof of residence.
“We make voting as easy, as smooth and as straightforward as possible for our students so that they can build a lifelong engagement in their democracy,” Sweet said.
Ellis said he is excited to help inform and educate as many students on App State’s campus as possible.
“If we’re doing this every day, we’re going to be able to reach our goals,” Ellis said. “There’s no question about that.”
Editor’s Note: The Appalachian reached out to the Watauga County Republican Party about their efforts to register voters in the area but did not receive a response.
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