Polls or post office: Where D.C. students are voting

D.C. universities, located in the seat of the government, are known for their politically involved campuses.

With midterm races undereway and many college students from out of state, students are weighing whether to travel home or vote by mail-in ballot.

“Being in D.C., we don’t have a lot of competitive elections, and so very few students, as a proportion, are registering to vote here in D.C.,” Eric Gitson, the president of the George Washington University College Democrats, said.“Most are choosing to vote back in their home states.”

Ninety-four percent of first-year students at American University are from out-of-state; 87% of first-years at Georgetown University; and 91% at the George Washington University, according to Meet Your Class.

Not all students can travel home to vote in elections during the prime of the semester.

“They don’t have the time or the resources to be able to go home to vote in person,” Keely Fox, the president of American University College Democrats, said. “Mail-in voting or absentee ballots are just incredibly important to making sure that your voice is heard in your community.”

That requires knowing the deadlines.

Luke Brown, the chair of the American University College Republicans, said although they do not have a campus-wide initiative, they try to ensure all of the organization’s members are registered and know the guidelines to receive their ballots.

At the polls or post office?

Gitson said the fall break at GW usually aligns with several states’ early voting periods, which is how he was able to vote in person in 2024. Some students go to the polls then, on a weekend or on election day, he said.

Three students at the George Washington University said most of their classmates, though, are voting by mail.

Imari Owens, a sophomore studying neuroscience and psychology, said she is from Maryland but voted by mail. Her friends, Kendall Henderson, a biomedical engineering major, and Helena Streib, who is pursuing international relations, are also using mail-in ballots. Henderson is from Georgia and Streib is from Indiana.

Second-year Bennett Geibel, from Pennsylvania, and first-year Arianna Williams, from Massachusetts, both students at American University, also voted by mail. 

Henderson said the reason she opted for a mail-in ballot is because of how expensive it would be to fly home. 

Her main reason for wanting to vote is because she can.

“So many people are unable to vote and unable to get their voices heard, and I was like, ‘I have the ability to. Why not?,’” Henderson said.

Voting hurdles

But mail-in ballots have also come with challenges.

Williams said she has seen a lot of people not vote because they ran out of time to request or complete an absentee ballot.

The lengthy wait on their ballots also caused some students to fret. 

New Jersey native Molly Pangretic, a graduate student in pharmacology and physiology at Georgetown University, said with the mail system, it took 10 days for her to receive her ballot after it was sent from her home in New Jersey. Since voting, she said she still does not know if her completed ballot has shipped back.

Georgetown graduate student Victoria Landa, from Georgia, said she was still waiting on her ballot as of Oct. 28. She requested it eight days prior.

Acting now

In September, Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren, of Massachusetts, reintroduced the Youth Voting Rights Act, which would help combat these setbacks. The bill was previously introduced to the Senate in 2022 and Democratic Rep. Nikema Williams, of Georgia, introduced it in the House, but the bill expired before it could be passed.

The act would require institutions of higher education to have on-campus polling places, guarantee that states accept student IDs to meet voter-identification requirements and more. 

“If we expect young people to help shape America’s future, we must protect their ability to shape it through their vote,” Williams said in a statement. 

Fox added that if she could pass along any advice, it would be how important voting is for democracy.

“No matter who you’re voting for, just make sure that you have a plan to vote,” Fox said.

Student organizations: get out and vote

Political student organizations also urge students across their campuses to speak up on Nov. 3. 

“We’re constantly reminding people how many days there are until the election and when you need to mail in your ballot by,” Braedon Troy, the co-chair of the Georgetown University College Democrats, said.

His group tables Monday through Thursday, answering questions about how to request a ballot, deadlines and where to find a stamp or notary.

Gitson said the GW College Democrats tabled for a week on campus with voting information for every state. He said they handed out hundreds of voter registration stickers to students across campus.

“The more visibility you have for an election, the more the people are going to remember to register to vote, to request that mail-in ballot and to, ultimately, make their voice heard,” Gitson said.