Voting as a college student can be confusing. Many students are both away from home and often voting for the first time. Add in the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic, and voting in the 2020 election can seem overwhelming. But Karen Kedrowski, director of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics, said it doesn’t have to be. College students have a number of ways to vote.

According to the Iowa Secretary of State’s website, college students can choose to register to vote at either their home address or their college address. Students can use their college address even if they live in the dorms. 

If students want to vote in their home district and they’re not an Iowa resident, they’ll need to check their home state’s election authority to determine any specific deadlines and requirements. Kedrowski recommended out-of-state students check the website of ALL IN To Vote, a nonprofit focusing on college student civic engagement, for their state’s rules.

Registering to vote in Iowa, whether as a resident or using a college address, is simple, Kedrowski said. Iowa offers online voter registration, which requires an Iowa driver’s license. Alternatively, if a student doesn’t want to register online or doesn’t have an Iowa driver’s license, students can download and print the voter registration form and mail it in. 

Since many college students don’t have printers, Kendrowski pointed out they are available in Parks Library.

Iowa State University’s Student Government has set up a website to help students with voting questions. The website has a link to the voter registration form along with instructions to fill it out.

Early registration ends Oct. 24, although voters are allowed to register the day of the election or at early voting sites. To do so, students will need to provide an ID — this can be a valid driver’s license, a government-issued ID from any state or even a passport — which does not have to match their current address. They will also need to provide proof of local residence, which is available to all students on AccessPlus under “Voter Reg Address.”

Once registered, the matter of actually voting comes next. Students can vote in person early, by mail early or on Election Day itself. If voting in your home district or state, a voter will need to check for specific voting locations in those areas.

Voting early in Story County in person can be done on campus at the Scheman Building on Oct. 19 and 21. In person early voting is also available weekdays during business hours, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Story County Auditor’s office in Nevada.

Additionally, early voting will be offered at Ames Public Library on Saturdays until the election: Oct. 24 and 31 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Kedrowski said to remember that Ames Public Library is not Parks Library. Ames Public Library is located in Downtown Ames at 515 Douglas Ave.

If students would prefer to vote by mail anywhere in the state of Iowa, they will need to fill out a ballot request form and mail it in to the Story County auditor if voting at their college address, or their home county auditor if voting at their home address. A link to the form as well as instructions to fill it out can be found at the vote.iastate.edu website or in various high-traffic areas around campus. No postage is necessary to return the form to the Auditor’s Office.

If students are voting by mail in a state other than Iowa, they will need to check their state’s deadlines and requirements. In Iowa, the deadline to request an absentee ballot is Oct. 24.

Kedrowski stressed that students make sure they know where they want their absentee ballot sent. Unlike most mail, it can’t be forwarded by the post office to a different address. 

“If you write your home address but you want it sent to you in Ames, your parents can’t just write ‘forward to’ and your address,” Kedrowski said. “Your request form must include the address you want the ballot sent to.”

After receiving an absentee ballot, voters simply need to fill it out and return it to the Auditor’s Office any time between receiving it and Nov. 2, the day before the election. The mail-in ballot must be postmarked by Nov. 2 in order for it to be counted.

If early or mail-in voting aren’t appealing and a student enjoys the thrill of civic engagement that they only find once every four years, of course they may still vote on Election Day. However, with the level of national excitement surrounding this election and the backdrop of the pandemic, Kedrowski warned this may be a different Election Day than many in the past.

Social distancing will be enforced at polling places, so it is expected the voting process will take longer than it has in the past. Kedrowski also encouraged students to be mindful of their own risk factors and ensure that they have proper personal protective equipment, including face masks.

As of now, according to Sehba Faheem, a Student Government senator on the Civic Engagement Committee, the provost is not granting excused absences for students voting on Election Day. Kedrowski said to make sure you find time in your schedule when you’re able to wait because it can be very frustrating to have to leave once you’re in line.

Students also need to make sure to know where to vote. Story County has provided a website that allows residents to search by address to find their voting location. A voter’s precinct is based on where they live, which determines where they have to vote on Election Day.

“You can’t just go with your friends together if you don’t all live in the same precinct,” Kedrowski said.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Election Day, and voters must be in line by 9 p.m. in order to cast a ballot. No one will be asked to leave just because 9 p.m. has passed. However, if someone does arrive after 9 p.m., they won’t be allowed to join the line, Kedrowski said.

One concern prevalent in this election is voter intimidation at the polls. In Iowa, only a certain number of sanctioned poll watchers from various authorized groups are permitted at each voting location, and it’s normal to see such individuals watching to see how things are going.

According to the Iowa Secretary of State’s office, poll watchers are permitted to write down names of people who have voted and even challenged the eligibility of a voter. However, they are not permitted to hinder or talk to voters in line, offer campaign materials or engage in any sort of partisan behavior. They also cannot inspect any documentation a challenged voter provides — only a poll worker can do that.

Beyond voters waiting to cast their ballots and the limited number of sanctioned poll watchers, only election officials, members of the news media and law enforcement called upon to ensure ballot access are permitted to be at polling stations. Regardless of their position, none of them are permitted to attempt to influence voters or impede voting access, according to the Iowa Code and emphasized in a tweet by the Iowa Attorney General.

“No matter who is there, you have the right to vote,” Kedrowski said. “Don’t be intimidated. Go in there and have courage of convictions. … Plan ahead, make a plan, and execute that plan.”