Voter Registration
ICC Votes Initiative
Independence Community College is dedicated to preparing students to be active citizen-leaders during their time at ICC and in life after graduation. The ICC Votes Initiative is dedicated to creating a more civically engaged campus by increasing access to voter information, increasing voter turnout, and empowering our campus community with informed political conversations and resources. ICC students, staff, and faculty all contribute to our vision of strengthening our commitment to civic engagement on campus and in our community.
Register with TurboVote!
TurboVote will make sure you always know when elections are happening. TurboVote also provides you with the information you need to vote with confidence in local, state, and federal elections. Sign up to receive election reminders, learn how to register to vote, and apply for your absentee ballot!
How to Vote
Option 1: Absentee/ Mail-In Voting
Absentee voting allows you to vote by mail If you are unable to get to your polling place on Election Day due to:
- Injury, illness, disability
- Travelling or being on vacation away from home
- Being a student at an out-of-state college or university
- Being a member of the military of part of a military family stationed overseas
- Being a U.S. citizen that currently resides overseas
Check your state's absentee/ mail-in voting rules here. You can easily request an absentee ballot here.
Option 2: Early Voting
Early Voting allows registered voters to cast their ballots on specified dates before Election Day- most states offer this voting option. Check to see whether your state offers early voting here.
Option 3: Voting on Election Day
Voting on Election Day involves going in-person to your official polling place and casting a ballot. Locate your polling place here.
Election Related Decisions
Deciding who to vote for in local, state, and national elections can sometimes be difficult. The most important and helpful piece of advice we can give is to do your research on the candidates before filling out your mail-in ballot or heading to the voting booth.
- Kansas Secretary of State Candidate List: Check out who will be on the ballot for the primary in August, and the general election in November, navigate to each candidate's website for more information about their platform!
- Kansas Secretary of State Sample Ballot: This page will be updated with a sample ballot once all candidates have been confirmed. Check back in September.
- Issue Voter: "vote" on bills in Congress and see how often your representatives' opinions match yours.
- Montgomery County's Voter Registration Page
- Ballotpedia: a digital encyclopedia of American politics and elections
All In Campus Democracy Challenge
Independence Community College is participating in the All In Democracy Challenge which empowers colleges and universities to achieve excellence in student democratic engagement. Learn more about the challenge.
Voting FAQ's
Who can vote?
You can vote in U.S. federal, state, and local elections if you:
- Are a U.S. citizen (some areas allow non-citizens to vote in local elections only)
- Meet your state’s residency requirements
- You can be experiencing homelessness and still meet these requirements.
- Are 18 years old on or before Election Day
- In almost every state, you can register to vote before you turn 18 if you will be 18 by Election Day.
- Some states allow 17-year-olds who will be 18 by Election Day to vote in primaries.
- Are registered to vote by your state's voter registration deadline. North Dakota does not require voter registration.
Who cannot vote?
- Non-citizens, including permanent legal residents, cannot vote in federal, state, and most local elections.
- Some people cannot vote after being convicted of a felony or if they are currently serving time for other types of crimes. Rules are different in each state. Check this guide from the Department of Justice [PDF, 541KB] to understand the laws in your state.
- Some people who have a mental disability may not be able to vote. Learn about your voting rights. Rules vary by state.
- U.S. citizens residing in U.S. territories cannot vote for president in the general election.
Check with your state or local election office for any questions about who can and cannot vote.
Students may register to vote at either their school or permanent address, but not both. The address you choose will determine who is listed on your ballot.
You may use Turbo Vote
- Register to vote using your on-campus residence
- Register to vote using your permanent address (Any U.S. state or territory)
- Check your current registration status
The address you use to register to vote will affect who is listed on your ballot.
Examples:
- I'm from Tulsa, Oklahoma and live in the Captain's Quarters. When I register to vote I am using my dorm address. My ballot will contain national, state (Kansas) and local (Indendence and Montgomery County) candidates.
- I'm from Kansas City, Missouri and live in the dorms. When I register to vote I am using my permanent address. My ballot will contain national, state (Missori) and local (KC and Jackson County) candidates.
Not every state allows for early voting. You can check your state’s early voting calendar at vote.org/early-voting-calendar/
Kansas does have an advance voting period during which time advance voting can be done in person or by mail. If you wish to vote by mail, you can complete an Advance Voting Application found on the Montgomery County website.
In-person advance voting dates and locations can also be found on the Montgomery County website.
You will have an assigned voting location based on the address you submitted when you registered. If you are registered in Kansas, go to the Kansas polling place search. You can also use this site to confirm your voter registration.
Since Election Day is on a Tuesday, if you are registered in different state, you may consider an advance voting ballot. Learn more.