Voting Information for Students

• Voter Education Week 2022

• Registering to Vote

• Request a Ballot in Pennsylvania

• What am I Voting For?

Important COVID-19 Updates 

Civic Engagement strives to include on this webpage the most current voting information available, but students are also encouraged to do their own research to stay up to date on any pandemic-related changes to voting practices and determine what voting method is the right one for them. 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students opting to vote in person are encouraged to wear masks in the polling place.  Students who feel uncomfortable visiting the polling place in person may opt to vote by mail—however, they must be mindful of requesting their mail in ballot by the deadline.  Thanks to Pennsylvania Act 77, all registered PA voters may now vote through by mail if they choose. 

Important deadlines to remember: We recommend that students submit requests for PA Mail-In Ballots as soon as possible to ensure that ballots are received as quickly as possible. Please mail your completed ballot in as soon as you can after receiving it to ensure that your ballot will be received in time. 

Voter Education Week 2022

Monday, Oct. 3

Theme:  Register to Vote

Register to vote by visiting the self-service voter registration station in the Career & Civic Engagement Center located in the Student Life & Wellness Building. Pre-printed Pennsylvania voter registration forms along with free envelopes and stamps are available. The deadline to register to vote in Pennsylvania is October 24, 2022.

Already registered? Confirm your status as a Pennsylvania voter by visiting the Pennsylvania Department of State’s website:  https://www.pavoterservices.pa.gov/pages/voterregistrationstatus.aspx

#voteready

Tuesday, Oct. 4

Theme: Request Your Mail-In Ballot

Voting by mail-in or absentee ballot is safe, secure, and easy! If you know that you won’t be in town on Election Day to cast your vote in person, request a PA Mail-In Ballot.  Visit the self-service voter registration station in the Career & Civic Engagement Center located in the Student Life & Wellness Building. Pre-printed PA Mail-In Ballot request forms along with free envelopes and stamps are available. The deadline to request a PA Mail-In Ballot is November 1, 2022. 

If you’re registered to vote in a different state, make sure you request your mail-in or absentee ballot as early as possible to allow for it to be delivered on time. Check your state or county’s voter services website to learn about application deadlines. Once you receive your mail-in or absentee ballot, complete it and make sure you mail it back by Election Day!

#mailready

Wednesday, Oct. 5

Theme: Make a Plan to Vote

The Career & Civic Engagement Center provides a free Election Day Shuttle that provides rides to BMC students to and from our polling place. Meet the shuttle at Goodhart Hall any time on November 8 between 9 a.m.-8 p.m. for a quick and convenient ride to the polls. 

For students registered to vote in Bryn Mawr, our assigned polling place is Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church (625 Montgomery Ave., Bryn Mawr). 

Voting by mail? Make a plan to deliver your completed mail-in or absentee ballot to the post office in advance of Election Day to make sure your vote is counted!

#voteplanready

Thursday, Oct. 6

Theme: Learn What’s on Your Ballot

Be an educated voter! Do your research before you arrive at the polling place to cast your ballot. For nonpartisan information about every race, candidate, and measure on your ballot, visit Ballot Ready (https://www.ballotready.org/). Enter the College’s address: 101 N Merion Ave., Bryn Mawr, PA 19010 in the space provided to learn about what you’ll see on your ballot on Election Day.

#ballotready

Friday, Oct. 7

Theme: Level Up Your Voting Engagement!

Now that you’ve registered to vote, made a plan to cast your ballot, and researched the candidates, it’s time to reach out to friends, family, and community members to encourage them to do the same! 

You can also become a volunteer on Election Day. Visit Montgomery County’s website to learn more opportunities to volunteer on Election Day—some examples of volunteer roles include serving as a poll worker, a mail-in ballot canvasser, and more! 

Link: https://www.montcopa.org/760/Volunteer-Opportunities

#electionready

Registering to Vote

Deciding where to register and, ultimately, where to vote is a personal choice and one we encourage students to make for themselves. However, we do want all students to be informed about their options. 

Click on your status to read specific instructions

• First-year students, sophomores, juniors, and seniors living on campus   

• Returning sophomores, juniors, and seniors living on campus who are already registered Pennsylvania voters

• Graduating Seniors

For First-Year Students, Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors Living On Campus

College students living on campus have two choices regarding where they register to vote. They have the right to register and vote at their college or university, registering using their College address or they may choose to register (or remain registered) and vote at their permanent home address.  

Students who register (or remain registered) at their permanent home address may either travel home to vote at their local polling place on Election Day or vote by submitting a mail-in or absentee ballot for their home state prior to Election Day. To find your state's deadlines and guidelines for voting by mail or absentee ballot, visit Vote.org.

Pennsylvania offers both online and mail-in voter registration.

• To access the online PA voter registration form, click on this link: https://www.pavoterservices.pa.gov/Pages/VoterRegistrationApplication.aspx  
    
• To download a blank, printable voter registration form, click on this link:  https://www.votespa.com/Resources/Documents/Voter_Registration_Application_English.pdf 

**If you do not have access to a printer, please contact Ellie Esmond (eesmond@brynmawr.edu) and she will print a copy and send it to you via U.S. Mail along with an envelope and a stamp.** 

If you are registering to vote using your BMC address, your street/residence address and your mailing address are the same. Do not enter your dorm address!  Entering your dorm address as your street address will assign you to the wrong polling location.   

Make sure to write your address in the following format and include your Bryn Mawr College mailbox number in place of the XXX:    
101 N. Merion Avenue, C-XXX, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010.  

Bryn Mawr College’s municipality is Lower Merion and our county is Montgomery. 

Mail your completed paper voter registration application form to: Montgomery County Voter Services, PO Box 311, Norristown, PA  19404-0311.

If you are already a registered voter in Pennsylvania in another district and you would like to change your registration so that you can vote at Bryn Mawr's polling place, you will need to re-register using your College address. Download the PA Voter Registration form using the link above, check the box marked "Change of Address" and make sure to complete Section 10, filling in your permanent/home Pennsylvania address. 

For students whose permanent/home address is outside of Pennsylvania and would prefer to register at their permanent/home address and plan to either travel home to vote or complete an absentee ballot, please visit Vote.org to check on the applicable procedures and deadlines for your state.    

For Returning Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors Living On Campus Who Are Already Registered Pennsylvania Voters

If you are a returning Bryn Mawr College sophomore, junior, or senior who is living on campus and you are already registered to vote in Pennsylvania at your Bryn Mawr College address, please make sure to confirm your voter registration status using the link provided by the Pennsylvania Department of State and then make plans to either vote in person on Election Day or, if you prefer to cast your vote by mail, follow the instructions for requesting a mail-in ballot below.    

For Graduating Seniors

As you plan to move on from Bryn Mawr College, don’t forget to think about your voter registration!  Once you leave campus—even if you remain in Pennsylvania post-graduation—your voter registration will need to be updated with your new address.  For alumnae/i remaining in PA, use this link to submit a new voter registration form once you have your new address.  For alumnae/i leaving PA, visit vote.org to learn about the new deadlines and access the proper forms for your new state.

All graduating seniors leaving the state of Pennsylvania should complete the PA Request to Cancel Registration Form and return it to the Montgomery County Voter Services Office.  This will remove your name from the list of registered voters in Pennsylvania and insure that the rolls are up to date. 

Requesting a Pennsylvania Mail-In Ballot 

For students who are currently registered Pennsylvania voters--please follow the steps below to request a mail-in ballot:  

1.  Confirm that you are registered to vote in Pennsylvania using this link provided by the Pennsylvania Department of State.     

2.  If you have a Pennsylvania driver's license, you may request a mail-in ballot online 
(https://www.pavoterservices.pa.gov/OnlineAbsenteeApplication/#/OnlineAbsenteeBegin) 

3.  If you do not have a Pennsylvania driver's license, you will need to download, print, and mail in a paper application  
(https://www.votespa.com/Register-to-Vote/Documents/PADOS_mailInapplication.pdf)) 

Send the completed application via US Mail to:   Montgomery County Voter Services,  PO Box 311, Norristown, PA 19404-0311  

**If you do not have access to a printer, please contact Ellie Esmond (eesmond@brynmawr.edu) and she will print a copy and send it to you via US Mail along with an envelope and a stamp.** 

For students who are US citizens and living overseas, please visit Overseas Vote to access registration forms and deadlines. 

If you have any questions, please reach out to Ellie Esmond in the Career & Civic Engagement Center at eesmond@brynmawr.edu.   

What Am I Voting For?

For non-partisan information about the races, candidates, and ballot questions, please visit the Vote411 website. By entering the BMC address (101 N. Merion Ave., Bryn Mawr, PA 19010) into the site, Vote411 will allow you to view your local races, compare candidates and their positions side by side, and learn more about ballot questions. Be prepared when you enter the polls—make sure you are an informed voter!   

If you have any questions about voter registration or Election Day, please contact Ellie Esmond in Civic Engagement (eesmond@brynmawr.edu).

Voting questions?
Contact Ellie Esmond, eesmond@brynmawr.edu

Bryn Mawr College welcomes the full participation of all individuals in all aspects of campus life.

To discuss or request disability-related accommodations related to voting, please contact

Ellie Esmond at eesmond@brynmawr.edu.

We are happy to work with you!