<p>D will be voting absentee - she is three hours away from home.
During a voter registration drive at her suburban Chicago school, however, she says she was told that that was no problem - she could register there as well!!!</p>
<p>In the past, my kids had absentee ballots but this year, they are both voting in the states where they are in college or in grad school and registered there.</p>
<p>My D will be voting in the state where she is attending school - that state is “in play” for the first time in many years and her home state is not.</p>
<p>I just saw this in NYTimes online:</p>
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<p>Like so many others. D is 3000 miles away and votes via absentee ballot.</p>
<p>odyssey, that’s an interesting article. Just as a point of information, college students are counted at school (their “usual residence” where they spend most of the time during the year) in the Census, for appportionment purposes. “Usual residence” need not be the same as legal residence used for drivers license, tax, or other purposes.</p>
<p>Absolutely, absentee ballot. As soon as my oldest S went away to college, during orientation, they had him sign a piece of paper which he thought was an absentee ballot. (It was in 2004.) He had pretty much the same experience as jyber209’s son. He wound up transferring his registration to another county in the same state. He went to vote in May 08 at home and found out he was still registered in the other county. It was a big hassle, but he was able to vote that day and is now registered to vote in his home county. S who is a freshman this year at Villanova has already filed for his absentee ballot.</p>
<p>Voting where the impact is greatest, but this depends on the election. To me, the idea is to get them invested in the voting process, and have it excite them.</p>
<p>When we lived in a small town, we encouraged our eldest to do an absentee ballot because so many local officials are elected by a very few number of votes. He was a freshman and didn’t know the local issues in his new community. He stayed with that approach throughout college. He knew the local people and felt bonded to those outcomes.</p>
<p>The next one went off as a freshman, two years later in a PResidential election year such as this. In September, I asked her “have you requested an absentee ballot?” She said, proudly, “No, I’ve already registered here (different state) because it’s going to be a swing state.” The other freshmen had clued her into all of that. Later, along with some freshman friends waited 5 hours in the rain to vote, making national news (in general, not in particular at her campus) about young people’s rights being abrogated. It became a lawsuit afterwards, handled by the Secretary of State. This was much more compelling to her than the local elections in our hometown.</p>
<p>Sometimes the atmosphere on campus is very charged on election day, so consider if it might be more exciting for them to be part of that campus scene than to mail home a ballot. </p>
<p>OTOH, the youngest really got shafted his first election because the local party didn’t handle his campus registration well. On election day, he was told he couldn’t participate in the state primary for the Presidential candidates last Spring. Was very disappointed. He was offered to re-register on election day, told his ballot would count in the event of a recount, or something, but he lost the excitement of being part of the primary. Ah well, next time (this time!). </p>
<p>So, if your kid registers on campus as a first-time voter, ever–urge him/her to check A MONTH BEFORE election day that all the papers were put into good order. Some of these on-campus registrations fall through the cracks. Check the Secty of State’s website for that state, but lots of states use 30 days as the deadline for registering before any election, local or national.</p>
<p>I also praised them – a LOT-- AFTER they voted, cheering them on and saying how important all this is, how their ancestors immigrated here for this right, how people die for this privilege. A bit over-the-top I was, but I wanted them to remember that I was proud of them for participating.</p>
<p>We in Oregyn are always out to lunch and consequently everyone votes absentee, when we get around to it, and get redos if we mess up the ballot before mailing and if we have 42 cents postage.</p>
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<p>Can anyone confirm that this has been a problem? Has your insurance company ever asked where your kids were registered to vote? Mine have always registered where they were living, like I did back in the '70’s. This is the first election where this tactic has been brought up. Seems like a move to the political threads for the mods.</p>
<p>My daughter plans to vote by absentee ballot. Her vote probably will not matter much in the presidential election, but there will be some closely contested propositions having to do with gay marriage and parental notification for teenage abortions.</p>
<p>Which brings me to my point. Why do transient residents have the right to decide on state issues? Or is this only an issue in California, where our elected officials don’t actually legislate; they make us voters de facto legislators through the proposition system.</p>
<p>That article brings back memories - I remember it well as I was in college then and the election in 1980 was rather contentious. Remember Reagan? I remember quite well kids with whom I went to college declaring how they were moving to Canada if he won. ;)</p>
<p>I lived and went to college in NH which was very Republican at the time and there were large numbers of students from Mass. (very Democratic). The locals hated the students registering to vote and voting locally. They thought it would make NH more liberal.
Bottom line - your child can register to vote where they attend college. They LIVE there now. Special restrictions are illegal and no - it won’t affect your insurance. I had never heard that one - I think it’s intimidation.</p>
<p>The reason college kids are encourage to vote locally is that it is easier - they may actually get to the voting booth.
As for my own kids - they are registered in their home state of PA and plan on voting absentee. I am skeptical that all three will actually follow through - they should have incentive as it’s a battleground state.</p>
<p>My daughter registered in PA during orientation week at her college. She decided her vote would make more of a difference in PA than her home state of MD.</p>
<p>Let’s keep the political ramifications to a minimum, so we don’t need to move the thread off to the political forum. I think the nuts and bolts information is useful, and can be discussed neutrally (even though I understand that it can also be perceived politically.) Thanks!</p>
<p>D’s effort to register using her school address was denied - so she’s an absentee voter again.</p>
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most likely illegally.</p>
<p>Illegally? Do you mean she was illegally denied or tried to illegally register?</p>
<p>Illegally denied.</p>
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<p>This was really off the wall by the Virginia Election Board, though I think it really was a good faith mistake. Think what the UVa and William & Mary would have to say about an out of state student being able to claim “primary” Virginia residency (and getting in-state tuition?) simply by registering to vote!</p>
<p>Back in the day there was always a big push at the North Carolina universities to register students whenever Jesse Helms was up for election. Yet he always squeaked out a victory.</p>
<p>garland is correct - illegally denied registration to vote.</p>
<p>Being granted in-state tuition and registering to vote are two separate issues that have nothing to do with each other.</p>
<p>If a college student lives in an apartment or college dormitory for 9 months (or more) of the year - it is their domicile.
Many out-of-state students do register to vote in the state they attend school.</p>
<p>It can get really contentious in local elections - depending on the relations with the town and community. Sometimes community members don’t like college kids voting in town elections as it can sway the election.</p>