Voter Engagement Newsletter
October 16, 2020
#CMUvotes
Register to Vote RIGHT NOW!
Register to Vote RIGHT NOW!
Make a Plan!
Voting by Mail
- Excuse: Voters in these states will need to provide a valid excuse for not voting on Election Day in order to vote by mail.
- No excuse: Any voter in these states can vote by mail if they choose to, even if they are able to vote in person on Election Day.
- Universal: Voters in these states only need to request a mail ballot if they need their ballot mailed to a different address than where they're registered to vote; otherwise they'll get one immediately.
If you have chosen to vote by mail in Pennsylvania, please be aware that an imaging error by the Midwest District resulted in incorrect ballots being sent to almost 30,000 people in Allegheny County. Voters who received incorrect ballots will receive a new and correct ballot in the mail, expected to arrive the week of October 19. To find out if your ballot was affected by this error, search for your name using the Allegheny County Elections Division's look-up tool. To learn more about this, check out the Elections Division website and their related press release.
Voting In Person
Know Your Deadlines & Polling Place
October 19th at 11:59pm: Deadline to register to vote in PA or update your voter registration
October 27th at 5:00pm:
- Deadline to sign up to vote by mail ballot in PA (mail-in or absentee ballot)
- Deadline to vote early in-person in PA
November 3rd: Election Day
- Polls in PA are open from 7:00am to 8:00pm
- Last day to return your mail ballot
- If returning your ballot by mail, your mail ballot must be postmarked by 8:00pm on Election Day and received by your county's election office by 5:00pm on November 6 to be counted
- If returning your mail ballot in person, you must return the mail ballot to your county's election office or other designated location by 8:00pm on Election Day
For more information about voting deadlines in Pennsylvania, check out the Voting in Pennsylvania webpage.
For more information about voting deadlines in other states, sign up for TurboVote or check out Vote.org.
To learn where your polling place is located, check out the Vote.org Polling Place Locator. Please make sure to check your polling place prior to election day - even if you live on campus, your polling place may be elsewhere.
Get To Know Your Ballot
Your Sample Ballot
Learn More About Your Candidates
Should I Bring My ID Card?
Practice healthy behaviors to protect yourself.
- Wash your hands before entering and after leaving the polling location.
- While in the polling location, use alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol frequently, especially after touching surfaces frequently touched by multiple people, such as door handles or voting machines.
- Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or the inside of your elbow. Throw used tissues in lined trash cans. Wash your hands or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol.
- Wear a mask. Children under 2 and anyone who has trouble breathing, is incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance should not wear a mask.
- Maintain at least 6 feet (under 2 arms' length) of distance from others. It is important to continue social distancing even when you and others are wearing masks.
Consider voting alternatives available in your jurisdiction that minimize contact.
Do not disinfect or wipe down the voting equipment yourself.
Avoid crowds.
- Use early voting, if available in your jurisdiction.
- Vote at off-peak times, such as mid-morning.
- If driving to the polls and your schedule allows, monitor the voter line from your car and join it when it's shorter.
Be prepared.
- Check your voting location and requirements in advance because they may have changed due to COVID-19.
- Verify your voter registration information is correct in advance of reporting to the polling location.
- Contact your local or state election office for additional information for voters with disabilities.
- Make sure you have all necessary documents to avoid delays at the polling location.
- If possible, complete any registration forms prior to arriving at the polling location.
- Where possible, review or complete a sample ballot t home to speed the process of casting your ballot at the polling location.
- Bring your own black ink pen.
- Bring a stylus or similar object for use with touchscreen voting machines. Check with poll workers before using.
Get Involved
Engage Your Friends In Conversation
Take the ALL IN TO VOTE Pledge
Follow CMU Votes
Visit the SLICE Voter Resources Webpage
Voting Power Hour
Office of Student Leadership, Involvement, and Civic Engagement
Email: slice@andrew.cmu.edu
Website: https://www.cmu.edu/slice
Location: 5000 Forbes Avenue, Suite 103 Office of Student Leadership, Involvement, and Civic Engagement Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Phone: (412) 268-8704
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SLICEatCMU/