Voter registration deadlines draw near in 34 states

With the 2020 presidential election rapidly approaching, students across the nation are getting ready to vote, some for the very first time.  

 Justin Curtis, associate professor of social sciences, said getting registered to vote has never been easier. Students are a simple Google search away from being able to register. Once students find the website that correlates with the state and county they would like to register in, the registration process only takes a few minutes to complete.  

College students also have the unique opportunity to register either in their hometown or where they are attending school. Curtis recommended that CSC students register in Dawes County since they spend most of their time in Chadron.  

“We need a constituency of college students to be represented in Chadron,” Curtis said. “Otherwise, local level, state level, and ultimately national level politics aren’t going to affect college students the way they could. I think that’s one of the biggest reasons college students tend not to be represented by their politicians. If we could concentrate that vote, college students could be a powerful political force everywhere they go to school.” 

In Nebraska, Oct. 16 is the last day to register online.  

Getting registered to vote isn’t the only thing that is important when it comes to the upcoming election. Doing research about the candidates, both national and local, is the best way a student can be prepared for election day.  

However, with so much information going around, it can be hard to find a reliable source for students to base their opinions. 

“At the national level, any nationally reputable newspaper is the way to go,” Curtis said. “I highly recommend that all students get used to reading the national news every day. Make it a newspaper, don’t watch CNN, get your information from a newspaper. That’s where the best reporting in the world happens.” 

Curtis said the way to become informed about local candidates is find out who is running, see what matters to them, and see if it matters to you. The same applies to learning what local issues will be on the ballot.  

“I think voting at a young age creates an enthusiasm for politics that can last. Students are in their formative period in their life, in a variety of ways, but if part of that formative process can be being politically engaged, then they are going to be politically engaged their whole lives,” Curtis said. “You’re never going to find a time to be more informed than right now.”