The Voting Process

February 26, 2016

Here in our country of America, the right to vote is something given to any citizen over the age of eighteen.

Getting to actively participate in choosing representatives to serve in office is something that Americans value and take pride in.

Understanding how exactly the voting registration in each individual’s own state works is important information that everyone should know.

But for individuals taking the first step, the whole process can be overwhelming as one wonders just where to begin in the process of learning how to vote.

To take the first step in registering, it’s important to know if one fits the requirements in each state.

Here in Pennsylvania, a person wanting to register to vote must be eighteen years old and a United States citizen for at least one month before the next election.

One must also have been a Pennsylvania resident in the district they wish to vote in for at least thirty days.

“A person must fill these requirements to be able to register to vote here in PA,” said FRHS Government and Politics teacher Samantha Westerlund. “Once you register, you do not need to register again unless you change your address or name.”

To register, one must complete a Pennsylvania Voter Registration Mail Application Form and send it into their PA county Board of Elections Office.

Once registered, an individual can then vote in all primary and general elections, according to Westerlund.

Primary elections, or elections to choose candidates for each party, have dates that vary throughout each term.

Once the primaries are over, the general elections begin as individuals choose from each political party.

But what happens if you cannot make it to your polling place on time for elections?

“If a person can’t make it to their polling place or they know that they’ll miss the date, they can fill out an absentee ballot,” said Westerlund. “You mail in your form no later than 5 pm on the Tuesday before the election.”

If a person is moving to a new state or district and they won’t be able to register in their new living residence in time for elections, they can use an absentee ballot for this as well.

Here in Pennsylvania, you can register by mail or in person, but you can’t register by phone.

“The whole process can be intimidating for first time voters,” said Westerlund. “But one shouldn’t not take the first step. Getting more knowledgeable on the subject can make the process much easier.”

But a question that is most asked by first time voters who are just turning eighteen is, ‘should I register at my college?’

It’s recommended by Westerlund that voters attending college register in their home towns when at school and then drive to their district’s polling place or send in an absentee ballot.

Individuals can then re- register if they’re moving out of state or to a district farther away once their schooling is done.

Voting at first can be a scary process- one that many are unsure of where to begin. But our natural right of voting is something that once you begin, is easy to continue and participate in here in our state and any other you might move to.