Your Vote is Your Voice ... Speak Up!

The Tom McCall Center for Civic Engagement hopes everyone will participate in the midterm election on Nov. 6, 2018. As a college student, you have the choice to vote in Oregon or as an absentee resident of your home state. In addition to casting a ballot, there are opportunities to help register fellow student voters or inform others on election issues. 

Here’s the scoop: 

Voting in Oregon

Oregon votes by mail. You may register here in Washington County, or, if your permanent residence is in another Oregon county, at that address. You can also choose to have your ballot mailed to you here in Forest Grove but have your vote count at your permanent address (which may have different options for local candidates or measures). 

To register, visit www.oregonvotes.org and select “Register to Vote.” You must be a U.S. citizen, resident of Oregon, and at least 16 years old (but you will have to wait for 18 to cast a vote). To complete the online form, you will need an Oregon DMV number (from a driver's license/permit/ID card) or you can provide the last four digits of your social security number. 

To vote in the Nov. 6 election, you must register by Oct. 16, 2018, in the state of Oregon. If you are already registered, you should still confirm that you have the correct address on file, as this is the only way you will receive your ballot. To check your mailing address, visit www.oregonvotes.org and select “My Vote.” 

Voting in Other States

If you plan to return home after college and prefer to maintain that state as your primary residence, you do not need to register in Oregon and can instead file an absentee ballot in your home state. Visit www.usa.gov/absentee-voting for the absentee voting process in your home state.

Remember that your home state may have an earlier registration deadline than Oregon. 

Volunteering on Campus

The Tom McCall Center for Civic Engagement will be helping students register to vote on National Voter Registration Day on Sept. 25, 2018. Interested in volunteering? Email us at cce@pacificu.edu. 

Have additional questions about voting in Oregon or your home state? Want to get involved with future civic engagement projects? Visit us any time at 110 Pacific Hall or follow us at www.facebook.com/pacificucce.