See Taylor Swift’s Harris endorsement, Trump’s response after debate
Taylor Swift took to Instagram to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. Former President Donald Trump responded in the spin room.
Hundreds of thousands of people are registering to vote for the first time as the Nov. 5 presidential election approaches, and many of them are young.
One surge began in late July when President Joe Biden dropped out of the race and Vice President Kamala Harris announced her bid, with the vast majority of new registrations coming from people under the age of 35. A new surge made headlines after Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Harris following the presidential debate against former President Donald Trump on Sept. 10. Swift directed people to visit Vote.gov to register. Within 24 hours, more than 400,000 had visited the site.
For students who live away from home to attend school in Tennessee, things can be a little confusing to navigate when it comes to registering and voting. Here’s a guide on what to know, where to register and how to vote.
Related: Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Harris sends more than 400,000 visitors to Vote.gov
Determine your eligibility
To vote in Tennessee, you must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old on or before the date of the next election and a resident of the state of Tennessee.
If you have been convicted of a felony, it may not automatically mean you are ineligible to register or vote. It depends on the crime, date of conviction, expungement and other factors, according to the Tennessee Secretary of State website. More information can be found at SOS.tn.gov/elections/guides/restoration-of-voting-rights.
Determine your residency
For the purpose of the rest of this guide, we’ll use a student who attends college in Nashville as the primary example.
You do not lose your residency status by attending school in another city or state. Generally speaking, if you only live on campus for part of the year and go home to another address during breaks and holidays, that counts as your permanent address. It also determines your place of residency and where you should register to vote.
So if you’re from Ohio and attend school in Nashville, that means you should register with your local county election commission in Ohio. If you’re from Gallatin, Tennessee, and attend school in Nashville, that means you should register with the Sumner County Election Commission.
However, there are a few exceptions.
What if I’m from Nashville?
If you’re a student who is from Nashville and also attends college here, you should still register to vote with your permanent address. Polling locations and your voting district are specific to your permanent address.
What if I live off campus?
If you attend college in Nashville but live off campus within the city, you must establish residency there to register to vote in Nashville. Fully establishing residency means your off-campus home is your permanent address that you list for things like a driver’s license, car registration, tax return information and other official business.
New to Tennessee? Why you can thank this Vanderbilt professor for your voting rights
Can I establish Tennessee residency with an on-campus address?
Technically, yes. But there are several critical factors to consider, according to Davidson County Election Commission Administrator Jeff Roberts.
Residential address: This is the address of where you sleep at night, like a dormitory or other on-campus housing.Mailing address (if different from your residential address): This should be your dedicated campus post office box. That will ensure all election mail is delivered to you. Roberts warned against listing the university’s general street address as a mailing address, since any mail sent to that address could be returned as “undeliverable” by the post office.Timing: The deadline to register to vote in Tennessee is Oct. 7. Since a valid Tennessee or federal government-issued photo ID is required to vote in Tennessee, Roberts said it’s important to consider if you have enough time to get a new ID to meet this requirement when contemplating changing your residence from your home state, county or city.Scholarships or other assistance: Some scholarships, grants or other forms of financial assistance to colleges and universities are tied to where a student lives. Changing your residency may affect your ability to receive that assistance.Can I vote absentee?
Absentee voting rules vary by state. Consult your local election commission or secretary of state for more information.
In Tennessee, students who attend an accredited college or university full-time outside the county where they are registered are allowed to vote absentee. That rule also applies to spouses of those students. Tennessee absentee ballots are sent by mail and must be requested no later than seven days before the election. Your absentee ballot must be mailed so your local county election commission receives it by the time polls close the day of the election.
More information on voting absentee in Tennessee can be found at SOS.tn.gov/elections/guides/guide-to-absentee-voting.
Can I use my college ID card to vote?
No. Tennessee requires a government-issued photo ID to vote. A list of frequently asked questions, including those about valid photo IDs, can be found at SOS.tn.gov/elections/FAQs.
Find information on voter registration, deadlines and more
Voter registration deadlines vary by state, but some are as early as 30 days before the election. Considering the presidential election coming up on Nov. 5, it’s a good idea to check deadlines for your state as soon as possible.
The U.S. Election Assistance Commission is a helpful hub to find voter information for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Go to EAC.gov and scroll down to find a drop-down menu that allows you to look up registration and voting information for your state.
For Tennessee voting information and resources, visit GoVoteTN.gov.
For more resources and guidelines on voting as a college student, visit vote.gov/guide-to-voting/college-student.
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Publish date : 2024-09-15 23:05:00
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