Ask Aaron
By: Aaron Buchner, Research Director
I’m Aaron, and I’m the Research Director at When We All Vote. This basically means that I lead on making sure all of our information about deadlines, registration, and voting is correct, and that we’re doing everything we can to protect the voting rights of people across the country. I’ll be answering student questions about voting and voter registration leading up to Election Day as a part of a new series we’re calling Ask Aaron. You can submit any questions you have about your ballot, registration, going to the polls, or just voting protection in general for me to answer here, and I’ll include it in the weekly Ask Aaron email.
Dear Aaron,
I registered to vote in one city but am currently in another one on my college campus, can I vote on campus? Will I have to go to the city I registered to vote in in order to vote? — Between Two Cities in Austin, TX
Dear Between,
This is a great question — lots of people are in different places than they expected to be because of the pandemic, so you’re not the only one trying to figure out the best way to cast their vote even if they’re not currently in the city they registered in. You have to vote in the county you are registered in. Texas does have early voting from October 13-October 30, so you aren’t limited to one particular day that you can make the drive to an early voting location in your county. Many other states offer early voting, so make sure to check out the early voting locations and times for your county at our Voter Resource Hub so you can plan accordingly, and, of course, make sure to wear a mask and socially distance when you head to the polls. Have fun casting your first vote!
-Aaron
Dear Aaron,
I’m a new voter heading to the polls on Election Day. I’ve heard about bringing an ID with me, and wanted to make sure I know exactly what I need to have when I go to the polls to cast my vote. The address on my permit is different from the address I used to register to vote, and I don’t have a license. Will this be a problem when I go to the polls on the 3rd? — Getting Ready to Vote
Dear Getting Ready,
I’m glad you’re asking — it’s always a good idea to make sure you have everything you need before you head over to vote. Every state has different laws about what kind of ID you need to bring to the polls, if any — some states require a valid government-issued photo ID (like a driver’s license) or non-photo ID (like a current utility bill or bank statement). The best thing you can do is check your state’s requirements at voteriders.org/IDcheck — there’s even a live chat feature on the site where you can ask questions, and they also have a phone number you can call to get more information. It’s 844–338–8743. Thanks for being a voter!
-Aaron
When We All Vote is dedicated to changing the culture around voting and closing the race and age gap in voter registration to increase voter turnout in every election. Got a question about how to register or cast your vote? Send it my way.
