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For college students, voting can sometimes feel like one more complicated thing to figure out — especially when you're living away from home, moving between addresses or trying to understand where and when you're supposed to cast a ballot.

But it doesn't have to be.

��ɫ��Ƶ's ��ɫ��Ƶ Votes initiative, a university-wide, nonpartisan effort to help students participate in elections, has pulled together the information students need to make voting easier. The most important thing is to start early and make a plan.

For students who are eligible to vote in the November 2026 general election, there's a simple place to begin: Oct. 5 is the voter registration deadline in Ohio.

Step 1: Make Sure You're Registered

To vote in U.S. elections, you must meet the eligibility requirements and register by your state's deadline.

Not sure whether you're registered? .

Ohio makes it possible for residents to . Students also can use paper registration forms available through ��ɫ��Ƶ.

One important tip for students: If you live in a residence hall or off-campus apartment, make sure you use the correct address when registering. An incorrect address can create problems when it's time to vote. ��ɫ��Ƶ Votes has passed out flyers with QR codes to off-campus students to ensure they register properly. 

Step 2: Decide Where You Want to Vote

College students have options.

You can vote in Kent if you consider it your voting residence. Or you can register to vote in your hometown. The key is making sure you're registered at the appropriate address.

Students from outside Ohio who want to vote in their home state can request an absentee ballot and have it sent to their Kent address. Voting rules and deadlines vary by state, so check your state's election information.

Step 3: Choose How You'll Vote

If you're registered to vote in Ohio, you have several options: vote early in person, vote by mail or vote in person on Election Day.

In Ohio, voting early in-person begins on Oct. 6 at county boards of elections. The Portage County Board of Elections is at 449 S. Meridian St. in Ravenna. 

Ohio voters can choose to request an absentee ballot, complete it and return it according to the state's requirements. But because mail delivery can take time, ��ɫ��Ƶ recommends that Ohio voters who choose to vote by mail send their ballots by Oct. 20 to make sure they arrive on time.

Step 4: Know Where to Vote and Bring an Acceptable Form of ID

This is one of the most important things to figure out before Election Day.

If you live on campus and are registered to vote at your ��ɫ��Ƶ address, your polling location is determined by your residence hall and precinct. You'll need to ensure you have . A ��ɫ��Ƶ FLASHcard is not acceptable. 

For the Nov. 3 election, ��ɫ��Ƶ students living on campus will vote at one of these locations:

Warren Student Recreation and Wellness Center
1500 Ted Boyd Drive

• Precinct 4A: Allyn, Clark, Fletcher, Manchester, Johnson, Stopher, Lake, Olson, Korb, Leebrick and Wright halls
• Precinct 5C: Prentice and Engleman halls

Parkside Kent
5915 Rhodes Road

• Precinct 4B: Beall, McDowell and Van Campen halls

Kent United Church of Christ
1400 E. Main St.

• Precinct 6B: Centennial Court A, B, C, D, E and F, Dunbar, Koonce and Verder halls

All Ohio polling locations are open 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.

Live off campus? Your polling location is based on the address where you're registered. ��ɫ��Ƶ Votes provides information for students living in Kent-area apartment communities, or you can use a polling-place lookup tool to find your assigned location.

The easiest way to avoid confusion: look up your polling location before Election Day and put it on your calendar.

��ɫ��Ƶ will also have a voting information table on Risman Plaza from noon to 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, with a shuttle running during those hours between the three polling locations and the Kent Student Center.

"Voting is one of the most direct ways students can exercise their voice in the communities they are part of," said Craig Berger, associate director of civic and community engagement. "You don’t have to be a political expert or follow every race every day to participate. Our goal with ��ɫ��Ƶ Votes is to make sure students have the information and support they need to make their own choices, make a plan and participate with confidence."

Step 5: Know What's on Your Ballot

You don't need to walk into a polling place knowing everything.

Take a few minutes before voting to look at your ballot and research the candidates and issues you'll be asked to decide.

And don't feel like you have to rush. Take your time, read the instructions and review your choices before submitting your ballot.

Step 6: Make Your Voting Plan

Once you're registered, the rest is mostly logistics.

Choose your place. Where will you vote?

Choose your method. Will you vote early, by mail or on Election Day?

Choose your time. When will you do it?

Check your location. If you're voting in person, make sure you know exactly where you're supposed to go.

For the November 2026 election, early in-person voting begins Oct. 6, and Election Day is Nov. 3.

That's it.

Voting doesn't have to take up your entire day. Make a plan, put it on your calendar and do it.

Your Vote is Yours

Voting doesn't require you to be an expert on politics. It doesn't require you to have every issue figured out months in advance.

It starts with making sure you're registered, learning what's on your ballot and showing up — or returning your ballot — when it's time.

Your vote is your opportunity to have a say in the decisions that affect your community, your state and your future.

So don't let the process intimidate you.

Register. Make a plan. Vote.

"Ultimately, we want students to leave ��ɫ��Ƶ knowing that they belong in civic life and that they have the ability to help shape what happens next,” Berger said. 

Get Election-Ready

��ɫ��Ƶ Votes offers information about voter registration, voting options, polling locations and understanding your ballot.

Visit ��ɫ��Ƶ Votes to get started.