Drexel Votes

The 2024 General Election date is Tuesday, November 5th. 

Are you registered to vote?

Yes? Check your registration on your state's voter registration site -- make sure it's still valid and active!

No? As a student attending school in Pennsylvania, you can choose to register in PA, or you can register at your home address. If you are registered elsewhere in Pennsylvania, you can update your registration to your current address.

• To register to vote in Pennsylvania, an applicant must be a citizen of the United States for at least one month before the next election, a resident of the district in which he or she is registering for at least 30 days before the next election, and at least 18 years old by the day of the next election. The deadline for registering to vote is 15 days before the election --  October 21st is the last day to register to vote in the 2024 General Election.
• Register to vote in New Jersey
• Register to vote in Delaware
• Find the deadline to register in your state

Caution: Recent news stories have reported fraudulent voter registration forms on websites created by political action committees. Before you fill out an online voter registration form, make sure that it is on your state government's website.

Now Make a Plan!

• How are you going to vote?
• Where are you going to vote?
• When are you going to vote?

Are you going to vote in person?

Some states or communities might vote on electronic machines, some may vote on paper.

Philadelphia votes on touchscreen Expressvote XL machines -- easier than ordering a hoagie at Wawa. Here's the process:

• Check in with the election officials at the polling table. If it's your first time voting at that location, they'll ask for ID:

• You will be given a blank ballot card that you'll insert in the voting machine to cast your vote.
• Return to the polling table to get an "I Voted" sticker!

The Express XL machines provide instructions in English, Spanish and Chinese; ADA assistive devices are available. If you have any questions about HOW to vote, don't hesitate to ask the election officials at the table -- but remember they cannot advise you on WHO to vote for!

Are you going to vote by mail-in ballot?

In some states, all voting is done by mail; in other states, voting by mail may be limited to those with specific absentee excuses. In Pennsylvania, any registered voter may vote by mail.

• Request your mail-in ballot online at https://www.pa.gov/en/agencies/vote/voter-support/mail-in-and-absentee-ballot.html .
• Complete your ballot by filling in the oval next to your selected candidates' names, then follow the instructions carefully: first put your ballot in the privacy envelope, then put both in the mailing envelope. Make sure you sign and date the mailing envelope!
• Return your ballot by U.S. Mail in time for it to arrive at your county elections office by Tuesday, November 5th; it is not enough for it to be postmarked by the 5th. Or, drop it off at your county election office; in Philadelphia, official ballot drop-off locations, and mobile ballot collection locations/times are announced in the weeks immediately preceding the election. Ballots must be dropped off by 8:00 p.m. on election day.
• If you did not return your mail-in or absentee ballot and you want to vote in person, you have two options:
  • Bring your ballot and the pre-addressed outer return envelope to your polling place to be voided. After you surrender your ballot and envelope and sign a declaration, you can then vote a regular ballot.
  • If you don't surrender your ballot and return envelope, you can only vote by provisional ballot at your polling place. Your county election board will then verify that you did not vote by mail before counting your provisional ballot.

To vote in person in most states, you need to go to your specific polling place. This is determined by the address you used when you registered to vote.

Philadelphia has 1703 election Divisions, each with their own polling place (although sometimes multiple polling places might be situated in the same building). These divisions are grouped into Wards; most of the Drexel campus is in the 24th Ward or the adjoining 27th Ward.

• Find my polling place in Philadelphia (interactive map)
• Find my polling place in Pennsylvania
• Find my polling place in New Jersey
• Find my polling place or early voting location in Delaware

If you go to a polling place other than the one at which you're registered, you will only be able to vote by provisional ballot; a provisional ballot records your vote while the county board of elections determines whether it can be counted.

Plan ahead! If you won't be able to get to your polling place in person on election day, request a mail-in/absentee ballot.

General elections are held nationally on the 1st Tuesday of November. Some states may allow early in-person voting. The 2024 General Election will be held on Tuesday, November 5th.

You are eligible to vote in U.S. federal elections if:

• You are a U.S. citizen.
• You meet your state’s residency requirements.
• You are 18 years old. Some states allow 17-year-olds to vote in primaries and/or register to vote if they will be 18 before the general election.  Check your state’s voter registration age requirements.

Voter Registration Deadlines

In all states except North Dakota, you must register before you can vote. Registration deadlines vary. Some states close registration 30 days before the election, while others allow voters to register up to and on Election Day.  Find out your state's voter registration deadline for the general election.

Voter Registration is by State

• You must be registered in your state of legal residence; as a student, this can be either your home address, or your campus address. If you’ve changed states permanently, you must re-register in your new state.

  • You can’t be registered to vote in more than one place at a time. When you register to vote in a new location, you’ll be asked for your previous address. Your new election office will send a cancelation form to your previous election office.

• If you’ll be temporarily away from home during the election, you can vote by absentee ballot with your state of legal residence. Examples of voters who’ve moved or are away temporarily include:

  • Military members stationed outside of their state of legal residence
  • Students attending college out of state
  • People on vacation or business trips

Different states use different rules and procedures for voting; some states allow early voting or voting by mail; others don't. Make sure you know what the procedures are in the state where you are registered. You can only vote at a Philadelphia polling place if you are registered to vote in Pennsylvania, at a Philadelphia address!