Skip to Search Skip to Navigation Skip to Content Skip to Footer
Winter Closure

Multiple Danforth campus libraries will be closed and inaccessible to patrons from December 21 until January 2. Read on for more details. 

An outline of the Washington University in St. Louis shield.
Back to All News

Voter Information and Resources

By WashU Libraries

An important national elec­tion is taking place on November 3, and the Washington University Libraries have teamed up with the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement to help ensure that members of the WashU community have the resources they need to successfully cast their votes. Below you will find helpful reminders, tools, and deadlines related to voting. For more information about voter engagement resources, visit libguides.wustl.edu/elections, washuvotes.wustl.edu, or connect with the Gephardt Institute on Facebook or Instagram.

Step 1: Register to Vote

If you have never registered to vote or if you have moved since the last election, you will need to register to vote at your current address. This page has a state-by-state listing of voter registration deadlines. You can register to vote using the TurboVote tool. Check out this video for a step-by-step guide on registering to vote on TurboVote.

Step 2: Check Your Voter Registration

All voters should make sure their voter registration file is active before the upcoming election. You can check your voter registration in any state here. If you just registered, it may take 1-2 weeks before your file shows up in the system.

Step 3: Figure Out How You Will Vote

There are three options for voting: voting in person, using an absentee ballot, or using a mail-in ballot. You should consider how you plan to vote now so you do not miss any deadlines, especially for mail-in and absentee voting.

In-person Voting

This option is for individuals who would like to vote in person at the polls on Election Day (November 3). If you are in St. Louis, there will be a polling place on campus that St. Louis County residents can use. It is important to note that if you are ill, quarantined, or in isolation on Election Day, you will not be able to vote in person. If you have concerns about any of these scenarios, we recommend that you re­quest a mail-in ballot. If it turns out that you will be able to vote in person, you can still do so as long as you have not already voted using the mail-in ballot. Simply request that the poll worker spoils (cancels) your mail-in ballot when you go to vote in person.

Mail-in Voting:

Missouri voters without an excuse for 2020 elec­tions can use this option. If you would like to vote by mail, we recommend you request your ballot as soon as possible. For more information about requesting a Missouri mail-in ballot, including deadlines, addresses, and the step-by-step process, visit the Gephardt Institute Voter Engagement page.

Absentee Voting

Individuals who have a valid excuse to vote absentee on Elec­tion Day can take advantage of this option. You can find a step-by-step guide for how to request an absentee ballot us­ing TurboVote here. It is important that you request an absentee ballot before your state’s deadline.

The following list of individuals are notaries on the WashU campus who are willing to notarize mail-in and absentee ballots by appointment. Please reach out to notaries directly to schedule a time to get your ballot notarized or sign up for one of these campus notary events taking place during the month of October.

Questions?

If you have any questions about the notaries list or general voting processes and procedures, feel free to reach out to Lindsay Gassman, Voter Engagement Fellow at the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement, at washuvotes@wustl.edu.