Happy National Voter Registration Day! Today, companies like Patagonia, non-profits like the League of Women Voters and Turbovote, and elected leaders like the President of the United States are celebrating your right to vote — but you can’t vote if you aren’t registered in advance of your state’s deadline.

Here at Stanford, we’re using Turbovote to register students to vote at either their home or campus address. If you’re already registered, you can use Turbovote to request an absentee ballot and sign up for election reminders.

Personally, I’m excited about registering voters for a few reasons. First, this is the first presidential election in which I’ll be old enough to vote. For many students, it might be their first election of any kind. While voters in my home state can register on Election Day, in most states (including California) that’s not the case — so if you want to vote in November, you have to get ready now.

Second, Turbovote provides voters with helpful reminders for future municipal and state elections. These are races that may receive a lot less publicity but are no less important than the presidential race. Issues like education and water policy are decided in these races. Those election reminders have helped me to avoid missing judicial elections or statewide primaries!

Third, registering voters on campus helps to close the turnout gap for young voters across the country. In the last presidential election, young voters aged 18 to 24 were about half as likely as voters over 65 to turn out to cast a ballot. In many states, laws are being passed that make it harder for new voters to register. At Stanford, though, many campus partners are here to  help. It’s one way we can overcome the turnout problem.

Ready to register? Stanford in Government will be registering voters at the Activities Fair on September 30 and in community centers in October. The Black Student Union, NAACP and the Omicron Chi Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. will also be registering voters in dining halls across campus next week. Finally, you can register right now by visiting stanford.turbovote.org. One tip — if you’re registering at your campus address, you have to use the physical address of your dorm, not your P.O. box!

So, to the friend who asked if I was majoring in voter registration: Here’s your answer.

– Libby Scholz ’17

Chair of Stanford in Government, a nonpartisan student-led affiliate of the Haas Center for Public Service

Contact Libby Scholz at emscholz ‘at’ stanford.edu.