Only 57.5% of eligible voters actually voted in the last election, 42% of eligible 18-29 year olds.

This statistic comes from Tumblr staff, in wake of the debate Sept. 26 and National Voter Registration Day Sept. 27. 

Other social media platforms are trying to get students and young adults to jump on the bandwagon too; Google, Facebook, Snapchat, and Pandora all invite users in different ways to register to vote, but the message remains the same.

Election day is Nov. 8, and students should be getting ready to vote.

The deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 8 general election is Oct. 11.

All that is needed to register is a name, address, birthdate, ID, and a voter registration form. These forms can be picked up at a county office, public library, high school, BMV or DMV.

Shannon Johnson, director of Ashland County Board of Elections, said registration online is currently unavailable, but you can download a form and mail a paper copy back to the elections office, pick up a registration form there, or have one mailed to you.

All registration forms are the same because they are generic, but voters should be aware of the address they put on the form because ballots differ from county to county.

General Election, the top of the ballot, is the same regardless of where you live. President and Vice President and the U.S. Senate nominations are the first two, but from there it becomes congressmen, state representatives, commissioners and so on, and that is specific to each county. 

“If you’re going to register in Ashland county, you will be voting on Ashland county issues,” Johnson said. For instance, the city of Ashland has two additional proposed income tax levies on the ballot. So if students don’t intend to pay income taxes in Ashland, they should not vote on the levy. One thing that we’ve run into with the university up there is when college students are registering they’re putting their mailing address as 401 College Avenue. The issue is the college itself lies within a couple different districts in the city of Ashland. 

In order to get the right ballot, the specific dorm address needs to go on the registration form. There is a list of dorm addresses at the county office building and the university’s registration office. However, this is only for Ashland voters on Ashland issues.

Students do not necessarily have to go home to register. They can register at the county office building and put your home address on the registration form, and the director of the Board of Elections can make sure that the forms get to the right county. 

The process is slightly different for Absentee voting. Absentee voting is early voting, which starts October 12 in Ohio and ends at 2 p.m. November 7, the day before Election Day. Absentee voting exists as a way to vote when voters can’t make it to polling locations on Election Day.

You cannot absentee vote at the Ashland County Office building unless you are registered to vote in Ashland County. However, you can request a paper ballot be sent to you for absentee voting from your home county, and mail it back to your county office.

“To put it simply, for students at Ashland University, you either want to absentee vote from your home county, or vote on election day in your home county at your polling location,” Johnson said.

Johnson also said anyone registered in Ashland County can go to their website, ashlandboe.com, to see general voting information on the welcome page and check registration, see sample ballots, and check where the polling location is. 

 “Every county in the state of Ohio should have those same capabilities on their website, which was directed by the Secretary of State,” she said.

Registering to vote is incredibly important. The Secretary of State made sure all 88 counties in Ohio had the capability to connect people to register to vote. A vote for the presidency will change the course of this country, and a vote for a commissioner will change the course of local communities.

“I don’t understand why you wouldn’t vote, Johnson said. “Things are happening that are going to affect you.”

 Students at Ashland University feel the same.

“I don’t think we’re too young,” sophomore and member of campus political group Young Democrats Ariana Graves said.

 “As long as you’re educated, you have every right to secure your future.”

Senior Joshua Frey, Political Director of the College Republicans, said he thinks more young voters will be at the polls this year, even though many of them are dissatisfied with the major candidates, because of the renewed interest in third party candidates like Gary Johnson,  Evan McMullin, and Mike Maturen.

“Decisions are made by those who show up,” senior and member of the College Republicans Kayla Gowdy said.

Though this election year has been a roller coaster ride, it does not mean that young voters have to feel like their voices won’t be heard.

“Voters have very strong opinions pertaining to this election and they realize every vote will make a difference, now more than ever,” Graves said.