Voter Registration Information
November 2012
To obtain information on where Lehigh students can vote if registered
in Northampton County or the Commonwealth of PA, click
HERE
Information about voting as a college student can be obtained HERE
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In conjunction with Constitution and Citizenship Day, the following information has been gathered to educate individuals about voter registration. Please follow the links below to learn more about how you can exercise your right to vote.
Information about how to register to vote as a college student can be obtained here.
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September 2012
Dear Lehigh Student,
The right to vote is fundamental in a democratic society.
Lehigh University strives to be a politically aware and civically
engaged community, and one expression of those values can be
exercising your right to vote. The general election for President of
the United States occurs on November 6, 2012. In
addition, one-third of the U.S. Senate seats, the entirety of the
House of Representative seats, as well as Pennsylvania State House and
Senate seats and executive branch positions will all be voted upon.
In order to be eligible to vote in this upcoming
general election, you must be registered by
October 9, 2012. We would like to make it easy for you to
register to vote in Pennsylvania, or obtain an absentee ballot in your
home state. As a college student you may be eligible to vote in
Pennsylvania even if you are classified as being "out of state" based
on your permanent home address. As a Lehigh University student, you
are eligible to register to vote in either Pennsylvania or your home
state, but not both.
The website, VOTESPA
is an excellent web resource where you can find information about
voting as a college student including registration, the new voter I.D.
law, and absentee ballots. By visiting this website, you can download
the voter registration form to complete and mail in time to be
registered for voting in the November general election. Also, once
you've registered to vote, you can consult the VOTESPA website to
determine the location of the local polling site where voting will
occur on November 6, 2012. Your polling location will be based on the
address you registered with and all Lehigh on- and off-campus
addresses have polling locations that are within walking distance of
Lehigh's campus if you are register with your Bethlehem address.
There is a new voter I.D. law in Pennsylvania, but the very
good news is that your Lehigh student I.D. card can be used as your
proof of identification in the voting process since it has your photo
on it along with an expiration date.
As a final reminder, Pennsylvania voter registration forms
must be received on or before October 9, 2012 to be eligible for
participation in the November 6, 2012 presidential election. I
encourage you to register and exercise your right to vote.
Thank you,
Sharon K. Basso
Associate Vice Provost and Dean of Students
