Browse the resources below to learn about why voting is important and how you can use it to affect your community.
"Understanding Voting Rights" - from rockthevote.org explains why the right to vote is important and why it is important to protect voting rights.
"9 Reasons We Need Young Voters More Than Ever" - from thebestcolleges.org gives nine reasons why young people need to vote.
"Why Should You Vote" - from aactnow.org outlines reasons why its important to vote including the fact that voting helps determine how your tax money will be spent.
Understanding how elections work is another important step in voting. Watch the short video below from Crash Course to get an overview of the election process.
While in 2020 voting rights may seem like a given, it hasn't always been that way. From the inception of our country until the 1970s, the majority of people living in the United States had to fight for their voices to be heard. When the Constitution granted the right to vote, only white, generally wealthy, landowning men, equaling less than 6% of the population, were allowed voting rights. Over 100 years later in 1920, white women were given the right to vote, and it wasn't until 1965 that all people were able to vote, regardless of their race, ethnicity, education, or economic status.
Even today, marginalized communities continue to battle against voter suppression in the fight for equality due to redlining and gerrymandering. Voting gives you the power to choose your leaders and engage with the issues you care about; something we should never take for granted.
Interview with Congressman John Lewis - To hear more about the fight for voting equality, check out this interview with former Congressman John Lewis as he recalls the iconic march from Selma to Montgomery in 1965.
Edmund Pettus Bridge, Selma, Alabama, 1946. Library of Congress
Voting for the first time can be intimidating! Browse these resources to become more comfortable with voting.
usa.gov created this video that outlines what you need to do before you vote for the first time.
The Nevada Secretary of State's Voters Website provides resources to help Nevada residents exercise their right to vote. Check out some of the resources below:
Vote411.org - For personalized information about what is on the ballot in your area, your polling place, and upcoming events check out this site from the League of Women Voters.
Campusvoteproject.org - Provides students with information to help you get out and vote.
Bestcolleges.com - Provides information on how you can vote whether you are living in your home state or out of state.
Ballotpedia: Nevada 2020- Nonpartisan "digital encyclopedia of American politics and elections."
BallotReady- Nonpartisan guide that allows you to enter your address and see the ballot for your districts and read about candidate positions.
Votesmart- Nonpartisan guide that includes voting records of incumbents. You can use this tool to help identify candidates whose positions match your own.
Who's My Legislator/What's My District Tool- This tool allows you too look up your State Senate and State Assembly District and your current legislators.
"Why Student Voters Matter" - from campusvoteproject.org explains that college students/young adults have voted at historically lower rates than other groups, but have recently been voting at higher numbers and why that is important.
Campusvoterproject.org - also provides guides for how students can vote in each of the fifty states.
"Voting in College" - from bestcolleges.com provides answers to common questions college students may have about voting.
"Reasons Why You Should Vote as a College Student" - from Thoughtco.com lists a variety of reasons college students should vote including the fact that voting allows college students to voice their opinion on matters important to them.
If you are not a resident of Nevada, these resources can help you register to vote, change your registration, or check your registration.
Voting by mail when you are unable to vote in person on Election Day. Voting using an absentee ballot requires that you request a form weeks before Election Day and the requirements to do so vary by state. Some reasons to vote by mail using an absentee ballot could be that you have work on Election Day, you need to vote in a state you aren't physically in, you have an illness or disability that makes it difficult to vote in person, or you may be serving in the military.
Check out this great informative video from the Washoe County official website on how to complete your absentee ballot!
This map from Social Explorer, a website that provides a variety of maps and data visualization tools, allows you to explore the various percentage of the population that is of voting age for various states. Hover over each state to see what percentage of people in that state are of voting age.