*Editors note: this article has been updated as per a correction we received.*

As I’m sure you are all aware by now, the 2024 presidential election is just around the corner. For many college students, this is their first time being able to vote in a presidential election, which is equally exciting, scary and confusing. If you are feeling any of this, don’t worry. The Advance-Titan is here to make this process a little easier and less daunting. We’re all busy, but don’t let your hectic schedules get in the way of your civic duty. Here is a step-by-step how-to on voting to take away that stress.

Register to vote

Typically, registering to vote can either be done online ahead of time at myvote.wi.gov, but if you’re reading this, you’ve already missed early registration. Don’t fret, though. You can still register to vote at your polling location on Election Day, which is Tuesday, Nov. 5 if you’re voting here in Wisconsin.

I know many of us only live here part-time, meaning you can either register to vote in your hometown or here in Oshkosh using your campus address, even if you live in the dorms. 

If you choose to vote in your hometown, all you have to do is request an absentee ballot through myvote.wi.gov, or you can contact your city/county clerk and request an absentee ballot. Either way works, just as long as you request the ballot before Oct. 29 at 5 p.m.

Do your research

The next step in the voting process is to do your research. Even if you already know who you’re going to vote for, it never hurts to do more research on both candidates to make sure you’re making the right decision and voting for the right candidate. 

It’s hard to make the right decision without knowing all the facts, and it’s hard to make the right decision if you’re just following what your friends and family are doing. Your vote is your vote and nobody else’s, so don’t let others opinions on the candidates sway your vote.

Show up 

Depending on if you live on or off-campus and if you decide to vote in your hometown, your polling location will be a little different.

For most students, you will be able to vote at the Culver Family Welcome Center. If you live off-campus, this might be different for you depending on your location. Make sure to double check your polling location at— you guessed it— myvote.wi.gov. Those who want to vote in their hometown can also visit this website to find their polling location.

Regardless of your polling location, all polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. 

I know it can be tough to find time in our busy schedules, but I cannot stress enough how important it is to vote. Even if you have to skip a class, I’m sure your professors will understand. After all, you’re voting for who you want to run our country. This election will have a profound impact on our lives for the next four years; you would be doing a disservice to yourself by not voting.

Oftentimes people, especially college students who are new to voting, choose not to vote because it’s too confusing or stressful. Now that you have clear and concise instructions on how to vote, you don’t have an excuse not to! You’re welcome. 

Also remember that whether or not you vote is public information, so, while people can’t see who you vote for, they can see if you have voted. Beyond gaining social acceptance, voting is our constitutional right. It would be a shame not to exercise it.