As election day nears, there has been a push to get young adults to register to vote. 

“It is absolutely important that students register as early as possible. The deadline to register online is the 13th of October, and it’s super easy to register online,” government teacher Ms. Sturges-Brown said.

To register to vote in Kansas, you must be 18 years old by the time of the election, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Kansas. Further information about voting rights can be found on Kansas Secretary of State.

Kansas offers registration online, in person, and by mail. To register online, a valid Kansas driver’s license or non-driver’s identification card is required. There is an online voter registration system that can be reached here. The deadline for registering online is Tuesday, Oct. 13. 

To register in person, contact your local election office for information on where to go. For Shawnee County residents, the election commissioner’s office can be contacted at (785) 251- 5900. The deadline for in-person registration is Tuesday, Oct. 13 as well. 

For those wishing to register by mail, a Kansas voter registration form must be filled out. It can be found here. Once the form is printed and complete, mail it to your local election official. This information can also be found on the Kansas Secretary of State website. Forms being mailed must be postmarked by Tuesday, Oct. 13. 

When it comes time to actually vote, there are requirements to be aware of. Photo identification is required when going to cast a vote in person. Individuals must also go to the correct polling location. This is dependent on where you live. Online resources provided by the Kansas Secretary of State can help people determine where to go. The general election will take place on Nov. 3. 

Anyone who cannot make it to the polls on election day has the option of advance voting. This allows people to vote in person at their local election office or a satellite location up to 20 days before the actual election. This will open on Oct. 14. Advance voting by mail is another option. In order to do this, one must complete an application for the advance ballot and include a copy of photo identification. Applications must be submitted by Oct. 27. Ballots will be mailed to those who applied, and they must be postmarked back to the county election office by or on election day. Applications can be found here. 

“You can’t change the system if you don’t know how to work within it…your peers more so I think than any other voting generation understands how to mobilize each other,” Ms. Sturges-Brown said. “So you know, that tweeting and getting groups together and Facebook and Snapchat and all that kind of stuff, that’s fantastic. But if you can’t mobilize people to go vote, then very little is going to change.”