November 8 marks election day where most students at Oregon State University will participate in their first presidential election. There are many resources on campus that offer places to turn in your ballots by Nov. 3, including the Student Experience Center and the Valley Library.

With students living on and off campus, registering and voting is a process that should be taken care of before deadlines. Whether students live in Corvallis or are from out of state, certain regulations are required to receive a ballot, according to Executive Director of Government Relations for Associated Students of Oregon State University Candalynn Johnson.  

“You have to physically get your ballot, no one can forward it to you. That is against the law,” Johnson said. “If someone hasn’t received their ballot in the mail, you need to call the Benton County elections office. You have to go to the elections office to pick up your ballot.”

First year ecological engineering student Sam Wiewel, who lives in Minnesota, had to re-register so that he was able to vote in this upcoming election. Re-registering proved easier than expected for him.

“I can see the importance of it so it wasn’t that big of a deal. I am not affected by it as much because both states share the same tendency towards a party,” Wiewel said. 

Students originally from Oregon are still required to re-register to their Corvallis address, such as first year digital communications major Jake Haley. He described how it was easy to turn in his ballot, only having to re-register from his Oregon home address to the dorms.

“I turned my ballot into the sheriff’s office, it was free,” Haley said.

For students that choose to mail in ballots, there are many locations on campus that have official and unofficial drop off ballot boxes, according to Johnson.

“You have to get a stamp if you are going to mail it. You need to do it by November 3, because you need to give it five business days in order for it to be confirmed that your vote is counted. We do have official and unofficial drop off box on campus. There is an official drop off box that the elections office picks up at the Valley Library. There is an unofficial drop off box at SEC front desk,” Johnson said.

Turning in the ballot ahead of time is encouraged to ensure the ballot will be counted, according to Johnson.

Along with the general election, students will have the opportunity to vote on local measures and local elections. ASOSU offers a voters education pamphlet that touches on every measure and what it means to vote for or against certain measures.

“We knew that students had certain priorities, usually around affordability, sexual assault prevention, cultural competence, making sure students actually feel comfortable on campus,” Johnson said. “We ask candidates questions about those issues and the answers are in this. There is also an explanation of what it means to vote yes or no. It is very simple, and there is also a section about how it might impact you as a student. As a student you have a different identity and some of these might impact you more directly than others. So all of that is in this voters education guide. Fast quick and easy to read, and helpful.”

For additional information on turning in ballots, visit ASOSU.