Announcements/20120814010726

Dear Incoming Students, We, the Hampshire College Democrats, want to encourage and urge you to register to vote before you arrive to campus this coming year. As a very active campus, we want to make sure that every eligible vote is cast in the 2012 elections. The young vote is crucial because we are consistently considered the group with the lowest participation when it comes to Election Day.

Issues up for grabs in this election are incredibly important to young people, such as student loan interest rates, protecting the environment, reforming healthcare law and passing the massive amount of national debt on to our generation. Regardless of your party or position, voting today will truly affect each of our futures. Voting is vital in an age where 10 ballots can make or break a political campaign.

As a student at Hampshire, you may register to vote as a citizen in your state OR you may register to vote in Massachusetts because you will be residing here for most of the year. If you live in a swing state or are most concerned with your state issues, registering to vote in your home state is probably your best option. You will have to fill out a short request for an absentee ballot while at school. Your second option is registering as a Massachusetts resident. We are a traditionally blue state presidentially; however, you will get to vote on local and statewide issues while at school without an absentee ballot if you are a voter registered in MA. We will have shuttles to the local polling places on voting day so you can vote if you are a MA voter.

To register in your home state, you may visit your city hall or city clerk and register to vote, provided you will be 18 before voting day on Tuesday, November 6, 2012. You may request a voter registration form mailed to you on your state or town’s governmental website or by using the national mail voter registration form attached to this email and available at: http://www.eac.gov/voter_resources/register_to_vote.aspx. Follow the directions on this form for your specific state.

If you register in your home state, we strongly urge you to request a voter ballot before you arrive at Hampshire. The first few weeks of school are hectic and if you request a ballot before arriving- the more likely you are to vote! The cut-off dates for registration in some states are early September, so it is a wise decision to register before arriving. You can arrange for your absentee ballot through your city/town hall or on their website, it’s a quick and simple process to ensure your vote will count.

To register in Massachusetts, you can request a registration form at: http://www.sec.state.ma.us/sec/ele/eleifv/howreg.htm. If you are registering to vote as an Amherst resident and you live on campus, your physical address is 893 West Street. Your mailing address is your campus box number. We will have a table at orientation for Massachusetts’s registration.

If you encounter difficulties registering or have voting questions, your city hall is an incredible resource. A quick call or website visit will almost always remedy your issue quickly.

We look forward to welcoming you to our campus in the fall and encouraging in lively political discussion as the 2012 elections rapidly approach!

Sincerely, The Hampshire College Democrats