Voting Information for Students
The Latest:
The next election is a presidential/general election on November 5, 2024. The last day to register to vote in the upcoming election is October 21, 2024. The last day to request a mail-in/absentee ballot is October 29, 2024.
Voter Registration takes place on move in day and outside the Dining Center on September 17, 18, 23, 26, and 30 and October 1 and 21 from 11:15 a.m.–1:15 p.m. and on September 17, 19, and 25 from 5:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m. Students are also welcome to register to vote online anytime. Deadline is October 21, 2024.
To see if you are registered for a party, and to check your voter registration information generally, go to this website. (Note: if you are registered at the College, it is likely that your County is Delaware and your ZIP Code is 19041).
On Election Day, polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Most on-campus residents will be able to vote in the Swan Multipurpose Room (#201) of the GIAC building. If you are registered at Cadbury House, your voting place is at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church (36 Ardmore Road, Ardmore, PA).
Please contact Professor zoberfie [at] haverford.edu (subject: Question%20about%20Student%20Voting) (Zach Oberfield) or llonie [at] haverford.edu (subject: Question%20about%20Student%20Voting) (Lisa Lonie) with any questions.
Mail-in/Absentee Ballots
- If you have a Pennsylvania driver's license, you may request a ballot online.
- If you do not have a Pennsylvania driver's license, you will need to:
- download and print a paper application
- mail the application to Board of Elections, Gov’t Center Building, 201 Front Street, Media, PA 19063-2728 (unless you are registered to vote at Cadbury House, in which case, you'll need to mail your application to the Montgomery County Ballot Office). If you don't have access to a printer, download and fill out the paper application, and then email it to llonie [at] haverford.edu (Lisa Lonie) who will mail it in on your behalf.
- Anyone registered to vote in states besides Pennsylvania should consult the resources at vote411.org/ to identify the appropriate procedures for requesting an absentee or mail-in ballot. Each state has different deadlines for requesting absentee ballots, and different dates for the primary elections themselves.
- Anyone registered to vote who is studying abroad or residing abroad should complete a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) at FVAP.gov to request an absentee ballot.
Mail-In & Absentee Ballot Deadlines
The deadline to request a Pennsylvania mail-in/absentee ballot for the 2024 presidential/general election is October 29, 2024.
To allow enough time for postal processing, we suggest to request your mail-in ballot by October 10, 2024 and return the completed ballot so that it is RECEIVED before November 5 at 8:00 p.m. at your county election office. A postmark by 8:00p.m. November 5 is not sufficient.
If you return a voted ballot by the deadline, you may not vote at your polling place.
Registering to Vote
As college students, Haverford students may choose whether they would like to register and vote at their educational institution, or at their permanent home address. Students who register at their permanent home address may either travel home to vote, or complete an absentee ballot per their state’s procedures. Choosing between the two registration locations is entirely the decision of each student, and the College only seeks to provide all pertinent information.
Students who have not yet registered, wish to register in Pennsylvania, and are eligible, should complete the online registration form. Students should include their residence hall under Unit Number.
Students who have previously registered in Pennsylvania, and seek to confirm their status, should use the PA Department of State portal.
Polling Place Location for Registrants Using Their Campus Address:
All students living on campus, except those few who live in Cadbury House, live in Delaware County and vote inside the GIAC building, room #201 (Swan Multi-purpose room). Those students living in Cadbury House live in Montgomery County, and vote in the Lower Merion 4-2 district, at St. Mary's Episcopal Church (36 Ardmore Avenue).
Study Abroad
In order to vote while overseas, students must complete a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) at FVAP.gov to request an absentee ballot. The FPCA is a special absentee ballot for citizens who are living internationally during an election.
- The FPCA must be completed and hard-copy mailed in regardless of whether it is a new or existing registration.
- For more information about deadlines and voter eligibility, consult the Overseas Vote Foundation.
- If a student has requested an absentee ballot and hasn’t received it from the state in time for the election, they may use the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB). The FWAB is an emergency backup ballot. This backup ballot can be completed using the FWAB online assistant by filling out the PDF or picking up a hard copy version from your nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.
- If a student chooses to receive an absentee ballot via email, they still must print and mail the hard-copy back. These ballots may not be submitted by email.
Be an Informed Voter!
For non-partisan information about the races, candidates, and ballot questions, please visit the Vote411 website.
Registration Data and Participation Results
- 2022 Midterm: 87% of eligible students were registered and 67% of registered students voted. For more detailed information, review the 2022 NSLVE report.
Before 2020, technical issues with NSLVE analysis led Haverford to derive its own registration and participation totals from publicly available voter data, based on only those students who registered and voted in the precinct local to the College.
- 2020 General Election (Federal): 1031 students registered, 917 students voted (88.9% participation)
- 2018 General Election (Federal): 625 students registered, 510 students voted (81.6% participation)
- 2018 Primary Election (Federal): 565 students registered, 138 students voted (24.4% participation)
- 2017 General Election (Municipal): 640 students registered, 205 students voted (32% participation)
- 2016 General Election (Presidential): 589 students registered, 523 students voted (88.8% participation)
ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge
The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge empowers colleges and universities to achieve excellence in nonpartisan student democratic engagement. In 2024, Haverford was recognized for outstanding efforts to increase nonpartisan student voter participation in the 2024 election.
Voting Rights
Voting rights in the United States are established, supported, and regulated through an array of Constitutional amendments, federal voting rights laws, state laws, and Supreme Court decisions.
Enrolled Haverford College students have the right to vote using either their permanent home address, or the location of their residence while enrolled at Haverford College. The Haverford College OneCard is one of the acceptable forms of identification, one of which is required for a first-time voter in the state of Pennsylvania.
Constitution Day
One opportunity to learn more about voting rights is Constitution Day, which is celebrated each year on September 17.
At Haverford, Constitution Day is recognized with:
- Shared resources about the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and landmark cases of the Supreme Court.
- Information about the decennial census and re-apportionment
- Voter registration drives, and opportunities for civic engagement for those who are not eligible to vote
- Events, discussions, and opportunities for engagement, open to staff, faculty, and students.