There are fewer than 30 days until the upcoming election, and all eyes are on the youngest — and newest — generation of voters. Approximately 41 million Gen Zers will be eligible to vote come Nov. 5, which is exciting for a lot of reasons. Not only does this bring a ton of new perspectives to the table, but it’s also just the beginning of many peoples’ political involvement.Â
However, understandably, voting for the first time can be nerve-wracking.Â
The polls are an unfamiliar environment to navigate for many, and frankly, it can be confusing. But don’t fret: There are plenty of resources to consult before heading to the polls, including a study guide that will make preparing to vote feel like you’re simply getting ready for a quiz in one of your favorite classes — all thanks to a partnership between everyone’s favorite online study platform Quizlet, and the nonpartisan voter turnout organization VoteAmerica.
The two organizations have collaborated to create study overviews and flashcard sets for anyone who wants to learn more about voting, so that young voters can walk into Election Day with confidence.
“There’s a myth that young people don’t vote because they don’t care — it’s totally false; young people are deeply invested in the future of our country just as much, if not more, than older generations.” Debra Cleaver, VoteAmerica’s CEO, said in a statement shared with Her Campus. “When young people don’t vote, it’s because voting is hard — especially for new voters or students who may be attending college out-of-state. There are a host of rules and regulations, deadlines to meet, and intricacies that trip up even the most seasoned voter, let alone someone casting their first ballot. It’s critical that student voters have access to trustworthy, reliable sources of information to help them navigate this space. When these young people use Quizlet, they’re already in learning mode. We want to put essential, accurate information about the upcoming election at their fingertips and make it as easy as possible for them to vote this year. We know if we can get the facts directly in front of them via on-campus advertising and tools like Quizlet, they can and will show up this November.”
For college students, one of the most appealing resources in the guide is a simple explainer on how to vote as a college student, which can sometimes be more complicated than it seems. Not only does this resource provide tools to check your voter registration status and register to vote if you haven’t already, but it also provides information to help decide whether to vote in-person or by mail, where to register, and remind new voters of their rights.
There are also more specific study guides available. For example, if you already know you’re going to vote by mail, the VoteAmerica x Quizlet collaboration provides an entire guide on how to navigate the process, with links at the top to request a ballot and track it while it’s on its way to you.
For a quicker debrief on what you need to know come Nov. 5, however, look no further than the multiple sets of flashcards about election terms and procedures. Don’t know what a local election office is? Ballot curing? You don’t have to do hours of research in order to find out — just check out the guide.
Overall, this election study guide collaboration makes the topic of voting as simple as possible. It’s important to know your stuff before heading to the polls, but it shouldn’t be a daunting task — so why not use a platform you’re probably already well-acquainted with?
Bestie, do you *actually* know how to vote? We’ve got everything you need to make sure you’re fully prepared for Nov. 5. Visit HowToActuallyVote.com for a step-by-step guide to making your voting plan.