Here’s your guide to voting as a college student

From registration to statewide ballot questions, it may seem like a daunting process, but this step-by-step breakdown will help you prepare to cast your vote.

With less than three weeks left until the 2024 election, a lot of new voters will be casting their ballots for the first time — including college students, many of whom come from out-of-state.

From registration and applications to statewide ballot questions, it may seem like a daunting process, but this step-by-step breakdown will help you prepare to cast your vote.

Voter registration

The first step: register.

Out-of-state students can decide where to register to vote: either in their home state or where they attend school (but not both).

Those who wish to register in Massachusetts can do so in-person, by mail, or at this website before the deadline of Oct. 26. Students that may already be registered in another state but wish to vote in Massachusetts can update their registration here.

For other New Englanders, you can register to vote here:

• New Hampshire (Note: In New Hampshire, you must register in-person or by mail)

How to vote

Now comes the fun part.

You have the option to either vote early or on Election Day. Polls will open for in-person early voting on Saturday, Oct. 19 through Friday, Nov. 1. They will then re-open on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Find your polling location here.

Any registered voter in Massachusetts can apply to receive a mail-in ballot. This application can be mailed in, submitted in-person at an election office, or filled out online here.

All applications to receive a ballot must reach election officials by Oct. 29, so mailed applications are encouraged to be sent well in advance — it is recommended that you apply at least two to three weeks before Election Day to ensure there is enough time for you to receive and then return your ballot. Filled-out mail-in ballots can be returned either through the mail or by visiting a drop-off location.

Massachusetts residents that attend school out-of-state or residents that are unable to go to the polls on Election Day due to religious beliefs or a disability can request an absentee ballot. This excuse-required practice is less common, but can be requested upon the special circumstances detailed here.

Most in-person voters do not need to show ID, unless you are voting for the first time in Massachusetts. Identification must state your name and address. Some acceptable forms include a driver’s license, state ID, utility bill, etc. A passport, birth certificate, student ID, or any other document without your address does not qualify as an acceptable form of identification.

Those that are studying abroad can still vote too — military members, family of military members, and overseas citizens can fill out the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot here.

Every New England state apart from New Hampshire offers early voting in person, though certain N.H. residents may be able to vote via an absentee ballot. Check if you are eligible for absentee voting in New Hampshire here.

What to expect on the ballot

Visit this site and enter your address to view a sample ballot. There are six pairs of candidates for president and vice president, including:

• Shiva Ayyadurai and Crystal Ellis, Independent
• Claudia De la Cruz and Karina Garcia, Socialism and Liberation
• Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, Democratic
• Chase Oliver and Mike ter Maat, Libertarian
• Jill Stein and Gloria Caballero-Roca, Green-Rainbow Party
• Donald Trump and J.D. Vance, Republican

There are two candidates for Massachusetts Senator, including Elizabeth Warren of the Democratic party — who is running for re-election — and John Deaton of the Republican party. Depending on where you live in Massachusetts, there may also be a contested congressional race on the ballot; there are contested races for U.S. representative in districts 1, 8, and 9 this November.

There will also be five ballot questions on topics like unionizing ride-share drivers, legalizing psychedelics, and more. You can learn more about the arguments for and against each question here.