Recently, a press conference was held in Ohio to emphasize the importance of registering to vote and participating in the upcoming presidential election.

Although the press conference involved many leaders of the Obama campaign in Ohio, the importance of exercising the right to vote expands beyond political affiliations. College students should consider their impact on the fate of the election when deciding to vote.

“Ohio is a make or break state,” Ohio Youth Vote Director Lora Rae Anderson said.

One of the main topics of the press conference focused on the website, www.gottavote.com.

Despite being funded by Obama for America, this website can apply to anyone regardless of political party as it provides general information about voting in Ohio.

A key feature of the website entails describing how to register to vote. For the upcoming election, the registration deadline is Oct. 9. Interested individuals can follow a link on that website to fill out the necessary forms. In addition, the website lists the acceptable identification that voters can show to poll workers on Election Day.

People can also visit their county board of elections or go to their counties’ respective websites for more information about the registration process and voting in general.

Individuals can vote in this election from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 6.

However, options exist for voters who are unable to vote during this period or not physically close to their polling location.

For instance, people can vote via an absentee ballot. This option is especially applicable to college students who cannot make it back home on Election Day. Interested absentee voters must provide information on the required paperwork in order to obtain an absentee ballot. After completing their ballot, individuals should ensure that the ballot arrives to the County Board of Elections before the deadline.

Ultimately, college students can potentially make a difference in the election, as well as express their views by voting.