Overcoming Out-of-State Obstacles: A Guide for the College-Age Voter

College voters outside of Old Main. Photo by Menghan Zhang.

By Madison Hiser

With each year, more students are moving across state borders to attend college; the number of out-of-state attendees has grown significantly over the last 30 years. Along with other concerning realities that come with a cross-state move, such as elevated tuition and high transportation costs, students’ likelihood to vote while away at college is an issue greatly affecting this generation. Regardless of the type of election, collegians should not miss out on casting their vote because they are not home on Election Day.

The Institute for Democracy in Higher Education’s National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement determined that out-of-state college students were less likely to vote than students attending school in their home state. The data shows that out-of-state students are either less motivated or face higher barriers when they register.

A default option in voter registration for both in-state and out-of-state students is to register using their permanent home address; because of this, a considerable percentage of them are at a disadvantage to act on their civic responsibility and exercise their right to vote. Students often do not have the ability, time, or flexibility to travel home for Election Day.

Luckily, there are options for students in this situation. If planned accordingly, there are a few practical ways to participate in this civic duty while away from home. A student may be able to vote in their home state earlier in the election season. They can also request an absentee ballot ahead of time or register to vote in the state where they are attending school.

Data shows that out-of-state students are either less motivated or face higher barriers when they register. Photo by Menghan Zhang.

Early voting allows citizens to go in person to cast their ballots prior to Election Day. An out-of-state student should be able to use their college attendance as a valid excuse to qualify for early in-person voting.

As for absentee voting, an out-of-state voter is able to mail in their ballot before Election Day. Although every state offers an absentee ballot option, the rules and expectations differ by state; states such as Texas, Missouri, and Tennessee require a student to state that they are an out of state college student to receive an absentee ballot. Any student interested in requesting an absentee ballot or who has questions about the process can contact a local election office in the state where they are registered.

Similar to both early voting and absentee ballots, each state has their own voter ID laws, residency requirements and registration rules. The University of Arkansas hosts students from many states across the nation and pulls a significant amount of attendance from Arkansas’ border states: Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas.

In all of these border states an ID number and/or Social Security Number is needed to register, and a valid ID is required to vote in person or online. All of these border states allow both absentee mail-in and early in-person voting. Applications for absentee ballots are available online, except in the state of Mississippi, where all vote-by-mail applications have to be requested directly from their circuit court. The states of Oklahoma and Mississippi require mail-in ballots to be notarized.

A student can check an online resource, such as the Fair Elections Center, to find information on their state’s voting guidelines. If a student has election-specific questions, they can call a local election office where they plan to vote.

Online registration, mail-in-ballots and various other tools to better understand the voting process have made it easier for students to become engaged in their civic responsibilities; the number of early votes cast by young voters continues to grow.

According to an article by The Associated Press, in the 2020 presidential election 11.3% of early votes were cast by those between the ages of 18-29, while 9.6% of early votes in the 2016 presidential election were cast by voters under the age of 30. The National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement reports that in 2020, the national student registration rate was 83%, and the national student voting rate was 66%.

Like the rest of the knowledge and routines taken from college years and applied throughout life, it is imparative that today’s students develop strong voting habits. These habits start with registering to vote as a student, UA political science major, Meredith Hodge said.

“We are a very important population…for the first time in a long time our age bracket is prevailing in the polls, so it is extremely important to cast your vote as a student,” Hodge said.
There are many websites and non-profit efforts that extend a helping hand to students as they navigate voting while away at school. To name a few, the Campus Vote Project works with universities and their students to reduce barriers for collegiate voting, StudentVote.org prompts students to easily register to vote, VOTE411 checks registration status and ballot content, while the Fair Elections Center and bestcolleges.com provide state specific resources.