Voting in the United States

Eligible RPI students should consider their right to become registered voters and exercise their right to vote. Students may choose to register in their home state and in most cases vote by absentee ballot in most elections, or they may register as a New York voter and vote in the city of Troy or other local community where they reside. An individual may only be registered to vote in one location, and must follow jurisdictional requirements to change their voting location. Students should research the opportunities available to them and consider their own personal circumstances before choosing where to register. Information is provided below for student consideration, along with links to register in all 50 states.

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Register to Vote

Registering to Vote in New York State 
The bulleted conditions are required to register in NY State. The registration deadline in New York is 25 days before the election. Those wishing to register must:
To register to vote in the November General Elections in New York, you can either:

  • Be a citizen of the United States
  • Be a resident of the county, or of the City of New York, at least 30 days before an election;
  • Be 18 years old by the date of the general, primary, or other election in which they want to vote;
  • Not currently be judged incompetent by order of a court of competent judicial authority; and
  • Not claim the right to vote elsewhere.
  • Register in person at all NY BOE Offices;
  • Print, complete and mail the New York Voter Registration Form by the October deadline, or;
  • Stop by the Dean of Students Office - Suite 4629 in Academy Hall and fill out a NY Voter Registration Form. DOSO will mail the form directly to the Board of Elections for you by the October deadline (October 14, 2016).

Voter Registration in the Other 49 States 
Each state has specific requirements for registering to vote, absentee ballots and deadlines for each. Several websites make it easy to register on-line. Consider the following sources for information and to complete voter registration in other states.