As Florida’s voter registration deadline approaches, University of Miami students across South Florida may need to make sure they are registered to vote.
To register, you first need to meet three main requirements: be 18 years of age or older, be a U.S. citizen and be a resident of where you want to register to vote. Each county may have different dates, deadlines or processes.
“[Voting] makes me feel like I have some influence on the direction of the country,” sophomore Cooper Caldwell said. “Many people in our past have fought hard to have that right, and many around the world still don’t have it.”
UM offers TurboVote to help students register, stay informed about upcoming elections and get the information they need to vote with confidence. The University also has a list of addresses for on-campus residents to see their physical address separately from their mailing address.
Information on early voting sites and secure ballot intake stations will be available after Oct. 4.
If you are unsure whether you are registered to vote, you can check your status on the Florida Department of State’s voter lookup website.
Miami-Dade County
In Miami-Dade County, you can register to vote online. At 16, you can preregister to vote, and when you turn 18, the registration will become active. The deadline to register is 29 days before an election. So, to vote in the midterm elections on Nov. 3 here in Florida, Canes must register before Oct. 5.
Online registration requires a Florida driver’s license, its issue date and the last four digits of your Social Security number. Without these, you can still use the online form, but you will need to print, sign and mail or deliver your voter registration application to your county Supervisor of Elections.
You can also submit that form by mail in Spanish and Haitian Creole.
“College students are an important part of our community,” Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections Alina Garcia said in a statement to The Hurricane. “I encourage every eligible student to take the time to register and make their voice heard … I hope they recognize that their voice and their vote matter.”
Once you’re registered, you don’t have to wait until election day to vote. Early voting begins Oct. 24 and ends Oct. 31. You can vote at any precinct during early voting, making it convenient if your assigned precinct for election day is in an inconvenient location.
Students can also request a Vote-by-Mail ballot — the deadline to request it is Oct. 22.
Broward County
In Broward County, the same requirements apply as for Miami-Dade County — all voters must register through Florida’s registration site, and can also request Vote-by-Mail ballots.
“As the father of a college freshman, I take great pride in encouraging all eligible Canes to register to vote and participate in our democracy,” Broward Supervisor of Elections Joe Scott said to The Hurricane. “Your voice matters on the issues that shape our communities and our government.”
Early voting in Broward follows the same rules as Miami-Dade except for the dates. Early voting will run daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Oct. 19 to Nov. 1.