Rice University knows the importance of voting, but before a ballot may be cast, the individual must be registered to vote. Campus partners have joined together to make registration as seamless as possible by Texas’ Oct. 7 deadline.
“Whether it’s a presidential election year or one with critical state and local races on the ballot, students have a powerful role to play in fostering active and engaged campuses and getting their peers to participate in our democracy,” said Verónica Reyna, associate director for the Center for Civic Leadership (CCL). “For many students, this will be the first time they can partake in an election, and we are giving them all the tools to do such in a convenient manner.”
The national general election is Nov. 5. To vote in this election, voters must be a U.S. citizen, 18 years of age, registered to vote and not otherwise ineligible.
To register to vote, Rice students have the option to register in either of two places: as a resident of Harris County or at the student’s permanent address, which is usually a parent’s address.
To vote in Harris County, individuals must register by Oct. 7 by submitting a printed voter registration form. Once registered, people may vote early or on Election Day.
Early voting runs Oct. 21-Nov. 1. To vote on Election Day, cast a ballot at Rice’s own on-campus polling site at the Rice Welcome Center or ride the Rice BRC/TMC Shuttle to the closest early voting site (shuttle stop 12). For a full list of voting centers for both early and Election Day voting, visit harrisvotes.com/Vote-Centers.
To cast a ballot for a permanent address outside of Harris County, voters must register and request and return an absentee ballot for that voting location. Different states have varying rules and deadlines, so visit TurboVote at ricevotes.rice.edu for details.
Only printed voter registration is allowed. While the internet will help locate the proper documents, there is no online voter registration. The physical form must be submitted to the appropriate organization. Individuals can use TurboVote, sponsored by Rice Votes, to find information, request and complete mail-in forms and receive text reminders.
If individuals are concerned about missing out-of-town registration or absentee ballot deadlines or wish to switch an out-of-town registration to instead vote at Rice, there are many options to
register in person on campus prior to the Oct. 7 deadline. Registration tables will be set up in:
• Rice Memorial Center near the Grand Hall every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
• Fondren Library near the circulation desk from Sept. 30 through Oct. 4 from 1-5 p.m., and Oct. 7 from 12-6 p.m.
• The MultiCultural Center Oct. 3 from 3-5 p.m.
If these times don’t work, students may email Anna Xiong (govhelp@rice.edu) to schedule a time with the Kelley Center for Government Information’s volunteer deputy voter registrars.
Rice Votes is available to help with questions about absentee voting for Harris County and other states. Contact Verónica Reyna at vr33@rice.edu for support.
Additionally, civic engagement representatives are affiliated with each residential college to help answer questions about voting and TurboVote.
For more information, visit RiceVotes.rice.edu, rice.turbovote.org, the Kelley Center for Government Information, HarrisVotes.com, Vote.gov and the League of Women Voters.