Election Day for Young Voters

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With the November Election less than a month away, many students are gearing up to vote. Some vote absentee in their home districts, while others choose to vote here in East Lansing. Either way, it can get confusing, especially for first-time voters.

For students who plan on voting, East Lansing City Clerk Marie Wicks’ message is simple.

“I don’t care where you vote, I care that you vote,” Wicks said.

First-year student Alexis Meusburger agrees.

“You’re supposed to vote,” Meusburger said. “It’s being active, it’s participating in government.”

And for those registered in their hometowns who are unable to make it back for election day, there still is an opportunity to make their voice heard.

“As long as you have either voted or registered to vote in-person and you have shown your ID to the election official or at the secretary of state, you are eligible to vote absentee,” Wicks said.

An option Meusburger is taking advantage of.

“I’m more comfortable voting in New Jersey, because that’s where I live,” Meusburger said. “I just go to school here.”

But for students who intend to vote on-campus, there have been a few changes from previous years.

“If you live on-campus, you vote on-campus,” Wicks said. “If you live off of campus, you vote off of campus.”

Wicks said that, this year, approximately 1,500 students are registered to vote, more than the 2012 Presidential Election. She also said the City of East Lansing used to have a company come in and register students to vote, but that was discontinued for security reasons, as was voting in the dorms.

“The dorms really need a higher level of security,” Wicks said.

This year, students voting on-campus will vote in IM East, the MSU Union, and IM West. The 2014 General Election will be held on Tuesday, November 4th, with polls open from 7am-8pm.

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