This year's Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019 and as it draws closer, it becomes more imperative that everyone comes out to vote. Unfortunately, the process of voting can seem exhausting for first time voters. The first step in this process is registering to vote and while many people would like to register, many do not know how or where to do so. That is where the Kean community is stepping in to help. The Community and Volunteer Services, Human Rights Institute and the Lesniak Institute will be hosting voter registration tables leading up to Election Day to help assist the Kean community in registering to vote before Election Day.
National Voter Registration Day is Tuesday, Sept. 24 this year. What this means is that all throughout that day, Kean University students who have not yet registered to vote will be able to come to one of the tables set up around campus, learn more about registration and register if they are ready and able to.
These tables will be set up in various locations around Kean. The Community and Volunteer Services tables will be located in the New Upperclassmen Residence Hall and Cougar Hall from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and in the Miron Student Center (MSC) from noon to 5 p.m., the Human Rights Institute will be holding a table in the Nancy Thompson Library Learning Commons (NTLC) from 11a.m. to 1 p.m. and the Lesniak Institute will host a table in the STEM Building from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 a.m. People should feel free to visit any of the tables throughout the day or when they have time. This will not be the only day for registering on campus as more dates will be added.
Of course, not everyone may be able to make it to National Voter Registration Day. Luckily, there are other ways to register outside of the Kean campus. A helpful guide in how and where to register is the New Jersey Division of Elections. The website provides information on whether an individual is already registered to vote and how to register if one has not yet done so. It will also tell one where to register in person if registering by mail is not an option.
Please keep in mind, the last day to register to vote this year is Oct. 15, so be aware of this if one is holding off on registering to vote for a while. It is also important to note that one can register to vote at the age of 17, but cannot legally vote until one is 18. The New Jersey Division of Elections will give one a much more comprehensive rundown of rules and regulations for who is allowed to vote and who is not, so please feel free to visit the website or call (1-877) 658-6837 for that information.
Voting can be a hard if one does not know how to get it down. Kean University is trying to make it easier. Come out to one of the tables on Sept. 24 and/or visit the New Jersey Division of Elections for more information.
