About Northeastern Votes
Co-founded in 2019, the Northeastern Voter Engagement Coalition is a coalition of students, staff, and faculty working to promote voter education, registration, and turnout.
Building off the years of work by the Student Government Association (SGA) and other groups seeking to mobilize voters, the Coalition hopes to institutionalize democratic engagement efforts across the growing Northeastern network of campuses.
NU student voting by the numbers
Northeastern University participates in the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement to receive data about our student’s voting rates. Get involved in the Coalition to contribute to our goal of 100% voter engagement.
The bar graph on the right describes the growth of Northeastern voting rates in the past few years.
Voter Resources
Our primary goal is to support students in the voter registration process!
Explore the resources below to register to vote, stay informed about elections, educate yourself on the voting process, and ensure your timely participation at the polls or with your absentee ballot.
I need to register to vote
You will need to register to vote if you:
- Moved since the last election
- Recently turned 18 years old
- Are registering for the first time
Register easily through Northeastern’s TurboVote link which will provide direct access to your state’s registration page. Be sure to register before your state voter registration deadline!
I am already registered to vote
Great job!
Here are resources from our voting partner to support your voting process:
Check your voter registration, register, and get election reminders
Request a mail in ballot
Review Voter ID laws
Find your Polling Location
Find out what’s on your ballot
General Voter Checklist
- Verify/Complete your registration.
- Check your state’s voter registration deadline. Find your state’s deadline here.
- Register to vote.
- Confirm your registration.
- You may be eligible to pre-register to vote if you are over the age of 16 but not yet 18. Learn and take action.
- Ensure your mailing and residential address are accurate and current.
- Learn about your state’s voting options.
- Access your checklist below if you opt to vote by mail
- Access your checklist below if you opt to vote in person
Vote In Person Checklist
- Set a time and a date to vote. Leave at least two hours.
- Check your polling location for Election Day, your early voting polling locations, and voter ID laws.
- Research the candidates and issues on your ballot
- VOTE!
Vote By Mail Checklist
- Request a mail ballot & send in any ID needed
- You may request your absentee ballot online, through email, or by printing out your ballot and sending it in. Find your local elections office address here. See this picture for how to address an envelope.
- If your state does not allow you to request a ballot online or email in a request and you do not have access to a printer, TurboVote will send you a pre-postage request form.
- Research the candidates and issues on your ballot
- Complete and submit your ballot as soon as you receive it
- Look here for tips on making sure you fill out your ballot correctly.
- Check to see if you need a witness or a notary.
- Make sure you have the right postage (some ballots are pre-paid). Undergraduates living on Campus, check your mailbox for stamps!
- You can place your completed ballot in a personal outgoing mailbox, a blue post office box, a ballot dropbox (only if you are in the community where you are registered to vote), or bring your ballot to your local election office.
What is a Witness?
Witnesses can typically be anyone over the age that have to witness you filling out your ballot or your ballot signature. They typically have to write or sign their name on your ballot.
What is a Notary?
Notaries are state officials that can certify signatures. Check your state election website for notaries near you. Wait to sign your ballot until you are with the notary and be sure to bring an ID with you.
What do I do if my mail-in ballot hasn’t arrived yet?
- If your state has vote by mail tracking, check to see if your ballot has been sent. Leave at least 10 days for it to arrive.
- Call your local elections office for a replacement ballot or to check the status of your ballot.
- If you can’t reach your local elections office, look up the rules on applying for a replacement ballot or call the voter protection hotline (866-OUR-VOTE). You may be able to apply for another ballot online or with a paper form.
- Make a backup plan to vote in person. Check online to see if this is possible – you will likely have to cast a provisional ballot at the polls. If your ballot has arrived and you still want to vote in person, bring your ballot with you to the polls.
Voting Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I register to vote?
If you are currently residing in Boston or consider Boston to be your most recent home/permanent address, you are eligible to register and vote in Massachusetts. If you are residing in Boston, but have residence in another location that you consider home, you are eligible to vote in that state. You may only register to vote at one address.
I only live on or near campus during the school year. Can I register to vote here during the school year?
Yes! Whether you are at the Boston campus or one of our nine other campuses across the US, you can register there and request an absentee ballot if you intend to return back to the same campus in a future semester and consider it to be your home.
US citizens studying abroad at the Toronto, London, and Vancouver campuses or N.U. in other foreign locations can request an absentee ballot as well. You will be eligible to vote where you last resided before leaving the US.
When should I complete my voter readiness steps?
You should check your voter registration, register to vote, and request a mail ballot as early as possible.
Is it better to vote by mail or to vote in person?
This decision is completely up to you! Depending on where you choose to vote, you may need to vote by mail unless you are able to travel on Election Day.
What is the difference between absentee voting and voting by mail?
There is no difference. Absentee voting has traditionally described voting by mail when not in the state where you are registered to vote. Voting by mail describes a process where all registered voters can mail in a ballot.
Who’s on my ballot?
It’s not just presidential candidates that are on the ballot! State legislators, city councilors, governors, mayors, and ballot measures might appear on your ballot this year. Learn more about your candidates at ballotready.org.
What do I do if my ballot doesn’t arrive?
First, check to see when your state sends out mail ballots to voters at your state government’s website. Some states allow you to track your ballot’s location online. Feel free to also call your local election office. If you have not requested a ballot by your state’s deadline, plan to vote in person if you can. If you are not in your state, you can attempt to submit the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot. This form is designed for those abroad but is sometimes accepted from absentee voters in the continental United States.
If I requested a mail ballot, can I still vote in person?
Yes!
Do I need to buy stamps and envelopes?
In many states, you can register to vote and request an absentee ballot online or by email. Some states will also mail you a pre-postaged ballot.
The Northeastern Votes Coalition has plenty of stamps and envelopes for those in need. Find us tabling across campus or email us at nuvotes@northeastern.edu.
Do I need a government ID to vote in person?
Do I need a government ID to vote in person?
In some states, you may need to show ID to register to vote, submit a mail ballot, or vote in person. Check here for a state-by-state breakdown of voter ID laws.
Where do I find a notary or a witness?
In some states, you will need witnesses to sign your mail in ballot. These can be anyone nearby – your family or your friends. A small number of states require that mail in ballots be notarized. If you are in your home state, your local election office will usually have recommended notaries listed.
Additional Information
Studying Abroad?
If you are a US citizen living abroad, you may still be eligible to vote. Learn about your options here.
Ineligible to Vote?
Elections affect all of us. Join our team, you may be eligible to work the polls, and get out the vote with your local community.
How to Get Involved In the Coalition
There are different ways to get involved in the Northeastern Voter Engagement Coalition. Explore below the options to get involved.
Become a General Member:
Though there are no specific requirements or expectations of general members. General members are invited to:
- Participate in the Quarterly Voter Engagement Coalition meetings
- Access the NU Votes Teams Channel
- Receive regular communications from the NU Votes team
- Promote the coalition’s initiatives
Become a Student Ambassador:
Students who want to be more involved with NU Votes can apply to be Student Ambassadors! Those who are interested can fill out this form. Applications are being accepted for the fall semester through September 8th.
NU Votes Community Partners
In line with our commitment to voter engagement, NU Votes regularly cultivates partnerships with various local and national organizations to strengthen our work.
ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge: This Washington DC-based organization empowers and recognizes colleges and universities to achieve excellence in nonpartisan student democratic engagement. Northeastern has received multiple recognitions from ALL In.
Campus Votes Project: The Campus Votes Project co-leads the Voter Friendly Campus Program, which recognizes institutions that create bi-annual action plans and submit reports following midterm and presidential elections. Northeastern was recognized as a Voter Friendly Campus most recently for the 2023-24 academic year!
City of Boston Elections: We have a strong partnership with the City of Boston, and Northeastern offers two polling precincts on the Boston campus, as well as regularly recruits poll workers and other day of election roles. Contact us to be connected to one of the City of Boston’s Election Commissioners.