Make voting part of your Stanford service journey. #StanfordVotes

It’s easy to register to vote online in California (registertovote.ca.gov), through the official U.S. government portal (vote.gov), or through StudentVote.org (powered by Rock the Vote). Most states allow online registration (and checking registration status) or by mail through the National Mail Voter Registration form. Check out lots more information at StanfordVotes.org.

• Have questions about the state where you are eligible to register? Check this advice on registration eligibility for college students from vote.gov.
• Do you turn 18 as of Election Day, November 5, 2024? Some states allow for pre-registration for 16 and 17 year olds so you can still vote.
• Study abroad? Yes, you can vote if you are a U.S. citizen living overseas, and the Federal Voting Assistance Program can help.
• Just like applying to Stanford, deadlines do apply. See applicable registration deadlines for your state or territory from the non-partisan US Vote Foundation.
• Questions? See the extensive information from Stanford's Democracy Hub or visit the Haas Center for Public Service.

Online voter registration for California residents is available through the Secretary of State. Further information about who is eligible to register, what counts as residency (and how to prove residency), when the registration deadline (and ballot distribution timing) is, and general election FAQs are also available. California accepts the National Mail Voter Registration form also.

Paper registration applications are also available at the Department of Motor Vehicles offices or U.S. post office. You may also request a paper voter registration application be mailed to you by calling the California Secretary of State at (800) 345-VOTE(8683) or by emailing Elections Division staff. The California Secretary of State provides instructions for filling out paper applications and an ASL video.

Missed the initial California voter registration deadline? You can still register and vote at your county elections office, polling place, or vote center. See same day voter registration information from the California Secretary of State.

Need more advice or information on whether you qualify as a California resident? 

• The U.S. Election Assistance Commission provides detailed residency guidance for college students. Highlights include: "Where you register to vote will not affect your federal financial aid, including FAFSA, Pell Grants, Perkins, or Stafford loans."
• The California Secretary of State provides residency advice for college students: "As a Californian living away from home while attending a college, trade school or technical school, you may choose to register to vote using your home away from home address you use while at school or your traditional home address. Choosing which address to use when you register to vote is a personal decision. Whatever you decide, you may not register to vote in two places during the same election cycle."
• The Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters, the office overseeing elections in and around the Stanford historic campus, also provides voter registration FAQs, covering temporary addresses, persons without a fixed address, registering with a business or P.O. Box address, and other topics.

Many states offer online voter registration, and links to each applicable state are available at Vote.gov and Can I Vote. Here are direct links to register in West Coast states and U.S. territories:

• Alaska
• Arizona
• Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands
• Guam
• Hawai'i
• Nevada
• Oregon
• Washington

Note that the U.S. Election Assistance Commission provides detailed residency guidance for college students on residency for voting. This guidance states: "Where you register to vote will not affect your federal financial aid, including FAFSA, Pell Grants, Perkins, or Stafford loans." Further details for each state are available at the Campus Vote Project State Student Guides.