Each state has its own deadlines for registration, some having already passed for the upcoming election. However, you may still be eligible to register for future elections. Learn more about different states’ requirements.
The voting process can be daunting, especially for first-time voters. Making a plan to vote can reduce anxiety and increase the likelihood of you casting a ballot.
In state after state, an array of complex and punitive voting laws—coupled with the raging pandemic and its disorienting impact—threaten to complicate the electoral process, and even disenfranchise potential first-time voters. Chronicle of Higher Education
3. Getting to your polling site
As part of our Hopkins Votes commitment to supporting access to the democratic process, Johns Hopkins is making additional transportation resources available to the Baltimore community.
Johns Hopkins has joined more than 1,400 college campuses across the country in the All-In Campus Democracy Challenge, a national, nonpartisan initiative that inspires, supports, and celebrates colleges and universities working to improve civic learning, political engagement, and voter participation. JHU President Ronald J. Daniels serves on the All-In Challenge’s President’s Council and solicits engagement from fellow Centennial College presidents.
In 2019, Johns Hopkins received two All-In Campus Democracy Challenge awards after an increase in student participation during the midterm election cycle from 14.4% in 2014 to 44.8% in 2018. The university earned Gold Certification—reserved for schools with a student voting participation rate between 40% and 49%—as well as a Best in Class award for the most-improved voting rate at a large, private institution.
In 2020, JHU is working to:
Increase the undergraduate student voting rate from 42.1% in the 2016 general election to at least 62.1% in the 2020 general election
Increase the overall voting rate among all eligible students (undergraduate and graduate) from 55.8% in 2016 to at least 75% in 2020
Continue to increase student voter registration rates annually by ensuring voter registration opportunities are available every semester, with increased attention to local elections
Matthew Kahn and Mac McComas of the 21st Century Cities Initiative discuss the decline of post-industrial cities and what can be done to reinvigorate their economies and communities
The DEI Collective pairs Johns Hopkins students from backgrounds underrepresented in higher education and the broader professional workforce with paid internships with participating employers
Are you registered? Do you have a plan to vote? Find important information about registration requirements and deadline, absentee and mail-in ballots, and more.
When will you vote? What method will you use? Make sure you have a plan to cast your ballot and have your vote counted, and refer to the Hopkins Votes checklist if you need guidance.
Throughout October and beyond, Johns Hopkins hosts a series of discussions on topics central to democracy and the 2020 election, including voter suppression, election security, race and identity, disinformation, and youth voter engagement.