As the 2024 election approaches, students from key and historical swing states have the opportunity to play a significant role in deciding the next president of the United States. This can be achieved by requesting an absentee ballot, researching candidates, and casting a vote.
Swing states are U.S. states that approximately have the same republican and democratic support from voters, which can make predicting electoral outcomes difficult. These states also have the ability to change the trajectory of the election.
In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump won Michigan by 0.3% or 10,704 votes according to the New York Times Electoral College map. In 2020, President Joe Biden took Arizona by 0.3% and Georgia by 0.23% of votes.
Professor and elections expert Scott Lemieux explained the significance of swing states and their role in large elections.
“We’re ruling a situation where, with polarization, the vast majority of states are not competitive, and that’s why swing states take on such a role,” Lemieux said. “There were periods in American history where what [party] the swing states would be [was] less predictable, a lot more states were at play and it was also a lot more common to have huge landslides. [The election] is really just going to be determined by the outcome of this relatively small number of states.”
Out of the almost 63,000 students at UW, 990 students are from the swing states Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, according to data collected by the university.
While these students represent a small portion of the overall UW student population, their votes have the ability to impact the election outcome. With students from these states now attending school here in Washington, absentee voting is a tool out-of-state students can utilize to participate in the election process.
“Out-of-state students from swing states can play a significant role in national elections, particularly in tight races,” UW political science professor Victor Menaldo said in an email. “This election is neck-and-neck, and any small movement in the numbers in swing states could prove to be the difference. The votes of these students, along with absentee ballots from military personnel serving abroad and expatriates, could literally decide the election.”
To request an absentee ballot, voters can access their state’s official website or another organization’s site to find the absentee ballot request deadline, ballot rules, how to complete an absentee ballot, and how to turn it in.
The 228 students from Arizona can access the voting-by-mail site provided by Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes. Here, eligible voters can request an absentee ballot up to 11 days before Election Day, however, it is encouraged to complete the form sooner.
The official Georgia government has provided a page outlining how voters can prepare to vote, request an absentee ballot, and further steps in the voting process. The 120 UW students from Georgia have until Oct. 25 to fill out this absentee ballot request.
The Michigan Department of State also provides an online site for voters to request a mail-in ballot. The Michigan Voter Information Center has a digital application form students can complete to receive their ballot.
The North Carolina State Board of Elections has created a portal to request an absentee ballot. Eligible voters are guided to follow the form’s instructions and can access this site for further information. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is Oct. 29 at 5 p.m., a week before Election Day.
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania offers an online application for an absentee ballot that must be received by the county office a week before Election Day, on Oct. 29.
Students from Wisconsin may request an absentee ballot here and must submit the application by 5 p.m. Oct. 31, five days before Election Day.
Nevada automatically sends a mail-in ballot to every registered voter at whatever address is on file.
“These are very competitive elections, and I hope that UW students, however they vote, will take the time to vote in the upcoming elections,” Lemieux said.
Reach News Editor Morgan Bortnick at [email protected]. X: @morganbortnick
Like what you’re reading? Support high-quality student journalism by donating here.
This post was originally published on here
