Hi there! Great question. Here's what I know: getting out and voting is super important. There are countless elections that have been decided by only a few votes. For example, a 2017 Virginia state election was tied, so the winner was selected by drawing names out of a bowl. Literally. The 2020 presidential election had the highest youth voter turnout in modern history. And not only that, young voters (particularly young Black voters) were hugely impactful in key battleground states like Georgia and Arizona -- ultimately powering the election results there.
The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (aka CIRCLE) has identified the top 10 Senatorial, Congressional and Gubernatorial races where youth and first-time voters can have a disproportionately high impact on the results as a voting bloc.
So yes, showing up and voting matters very very much. :)

Lots to unpack here. Before we do that, a reminder that you can register to vote in 2 minutes with DoSomething and request your absentee ballot here.
There is a major myth that voting by mail is less secure than voting in person. Mail-in voting has received a lot of attention these past few years because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the truth is that it has been around for a long time.
Absentee voting goes as far back as the Civil War, and no-excuse absentee voting (voting by absentee even if you are physically available on Election Day, just for the convenience of it) has been a thing for about 40 years now. Even prior to this election, every state offers some form of vote-by-mail, whether for an approved excuse or just convenience. Because states have been doing this for a while, they have A LOT of measures in place to make sure that mail ballots are secure and that election integrity is maintained. Here are some examples, sourced from the Brennan Center for Justice:
Verifying identity: Voters must provide their personal information and signature, which election officials match against voter rolls.
Bar codes: Some states assign barcodes to each ballot, making it easier for officials to track ballots and identify duplicates. Voters can also use them to make sure their ballots have been received.
Secure drop-off locations: Some voters opt to drop-off their ballots in a designated location prior to Election Day, and states take steps to make them as secure as possible. Drop boxes are constructed to be tamper-proof, and they’re often supervised by election officials or equipped with security cameras.
Penalties: States discourage voter fraud (which is a federal crime) by enacting their own criminal and civil penalties in addition to the hefty fines and prison sentences available under federal law.

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Good question.

Most states offer at least one method for eligible voters to cast their ballot before election day, including absentee voting and all mail-in voting. And according to the law, all ballots of all types must be counted before an election can be closed or certified. This includes ballots coming from overseas, dropboxes, polling locations, etc. However, it’s super important to ensure you submit your ballot properly. Check (and then double-check!) if there are instructions with your ballot or on the website of election officials in your state.

Sometimes voting in-person on election day just isn't an option. Students away at college can submit absentee ballots if they are registered to vote in their home state and attend school out of state. This means you don’t have to travel to your hometown polling location to vote. In addition, if you have a permanent or temporary residence in the state where you attend college, you can change your voter registration to that state in order to vote in person. Just be sure to update your voter registration!

But know that registering to vote in more than one state is illegal! You must register in your home state, or the state where you attend school.

If you still feel anxious about voting by-mail, you can always visit your polling place on election day to cast your vote! Be sure you know the location of your polling place and check if you need to bring any type of ID with you. Most states offer some sort of in-person voting option prior to Election Day. You can find out more about if your state offers early in-person voting here. This option is ideal if you want to vote in person, but you aren’t available to do so on Election Day, you want to avoid crowds, or you just want to reduce your chances of waiting in a long line. Options are always great!

To help you navigate these different options, head to Your Plan, Your Vote and make your voting plan today!

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Here's my take. It’s understandable that young people may not feel listened to by lawmakers and those in positions of political power. However, that’s beginning to change. For one, there’s 8 million newly eligible voters this year ALONE, and Gen Z is one of the largest demographic groups in the US.

Secondly, this election represents the first time that members of Gen Z are actually running for office in Congress such as Maxwell Frost running in Florida’s 10th Congressional district.

Young people are also making their voices heard and moving to the forefront of social movements for affordable education, economic autonomy, and climate justice. Casting your vote in this election will send a powerful message that the youth voting bloc cannot be ignored and will help get these issues on the radar of elected officials as they take office.

Hi there. I believe you may be referring to the 30,000 mailers that were sent out in Colorado to non-citizens due to a mailing glitch. However, as cited in a recent Washington Post article, these were just postcards reminding them to register, not actual ballots. The article states that, "none of the noncitizens will be allowed to register to vote if they try." Voting by absentee ballot or mail-in ballot continues to be a secure way to cast your vote and an important way for people to participate in the electoral process who may not be residing in their home state or can't otherwise make it to a polling place.