Please email us at info @countmore.org if you don't see the answer to your question below.
In 1979, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that students have the right to vote in their school state or home state.. We help students register to vote where they will have the most impact.
Votes count more in swing states because of the electoral college. If you live in Alabama - a state which usually votes Republican - your vote is unlikely to swing the election. Florida, however, is often a swing state. The entire 2000 presidential election was ultimately decided by about 500 votes in Florida, and these votes counted more than any vote in Alabama.
Voter ID is a hot issue right now, with new laws being passed on a regular basis. Some states require government issued photo ID (such as a driver's license), some states will accept any sort of photo ID, and other states will just ask for something that shows your name and address (such as a utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, etc). Our friends at NCSL.org have compiled detailed list of state-by-state voter ID requirements. Contact your Local Election Official if you have any additional questions about the ID requirements in your state.
Yes, as long as you register before the deadline. Please tell your friends about CountMore.org now so they don't miss the deadlines.
The vast majority of students will not have trouble registering where they go to school. Some counties and election officials, however, have confusing and sometimes restrictive rules about the requirements for registering to vote at school. If you're unsure, The Brennan Center for Justice has a detailed description of state-by-state requirements.
Students with scholarships or tuition that require residency should check with their financial aid office before registering to vote in their home state. For example, if you have a scholarship that requires California residency, you should ensure that registering to vote in a different state will not affect your status. Note: this does not apply to recipients of federal financial aid and does not affect the vast majority of students. The Brennan Center for Justice has a detailed description of the cases where registering to vote in a new state can affect your financial aid or tuition.
Your new registration will invalidate the old one. Just make sure to meet the voter registration deadline in your new state.
First we categorize states into four tiers:
States that the non-partisan polling website FiveThirtyEight.com identifies as "Tipping Point States" that are more than 10% likely to tip the election. These states are currently: Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, Michigan, Colorado, and Florida.
States where pollster.com is reporting less than 5% polling difference or the 2008 election margin of victory was less than than 5%. These states are currently: Iowa, Indiana, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Wisconsin, and West Virginia.
States where pollster.com is reporting less than 10% polling difference or the 2008 election margin of victory was less than than 10%. These states are currently: Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Jersey, and Washington.
Then, our algorithm compares the two states and recommends that you vote in the state with the lower tier. In the case of a tie, we declare a toss up.
Note: Algorithm data was last sampled on April 30, 2012 and may change over time.
Out-of-state students live - and pay taxes - in two places: they spend more time at school but they have strong connections at home. We think it's natural for students to choose where to vote - and the U.S. Supreme Court agrees. After all, snowbirds who live in Florida during the winter get to choose where they vote. In most states it only takes 30 days for a non-student to establish voting residency. We believe it is discriminatory to not provide the same privilege to students.
Each student will chose where they vote for different reasons. Some people may only vote where they go to school if they don't plan on returning home. Others may know they are returning home and choose to vote there. For students who aren't sure, knowing where your vote counts more is useful information.
Yes, Virginia issued two incorrect releases warning students of financial consequences if they registered at school. The official Virginia voting information for students website states that students must "have a physical location [in Virginia] where they intend to stay for an unlimited time" and can change their intention at any time. Read the full New York Times article.
Are you kidding? Uh... NO!
CountMore.org was created in 2008 by a small team of folks in Seattle at a civic software company called Front Seat. The fine folks at Long Distance Voter took ownership of CountMore.org in early 2012. Long Distance Voter is a 501(c)(3) registered non-profit organization and does not support or oppose any political candidate or party.