"A lot of students are assuming they're already registered," said Nicole Stenhouse, a staff assistant in the University Libraries director's office. "And some of them are not understanding that they can use their local address and use an absentee ballot."
Although groups like the University Libraries have been encouraging student voter registration since the start of the semester, many students still have serious misconceptions about the process, Stenhouse said.
"The most common misconceptions people have are over filing absentee ballots and using their local addresses," she said.
Stenhouse said she's met many students who don't understand they need to apply for absentee ballots because they are only registered in their hometowns. Absentee ballots are not, Stenhouse stressed, something that are filled out on Election Day and mailed in.
Another option would be to change your registration address so that you could vote at UB on Nov. 2, Stenhouse added.
Stenhouse encouraged students to double-check their registration status. "Many students still have to register from scratch," she said.
Stenhouse said she found most students to be interested in voting, but not necessarily initiated to do so.
"I think that if you get in their face about it, they have an opinion and they want to vote. If someone's not forcing them, students tend to be a bit too laid-back about it."
Voter registration forms must be postmarked by Friday. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is Oct. 26.
