Voter FAQs: Guide to Registering and Voting

When is the voter registration deadline? 

The deadline in Kentucky is October 7, 2024 register to vote, or update an existing registration, for the November 5, 2024 General Election. Not sure if you're registered? Check your registration HERE

When is election day?

The General Election is Tuesday, November 5, 2022. Block out time to vote in your calendar. Organize a group of friends to walk/drive to the polls and vote with! And join us on campus at our Get to the Polls Party to grab some "I am a Voter" swag and celebrate participating in this year's election! 

Am I eligible to vote in Kentucky?

If you are a Bellarmine student, you may claim residency in Kentucky. To register to vote in Kentucky, you must:

• Be a U.S. citizen and a Kentucky resident for at least 28 days before the election. 
• Be at least 18 years old by the next General Election.     
• Not be a convicted felon, or else have had your civil rights restored.
• Not have been adjudged mentally incompetent and had voting rights removed.
• Not claim the right to vote outside Kentucky.

Can I vote in Louisville if I'm not from Louisville? 

Yes! If you register here, you can vote here! Submit a voter registration form with your local address by October 5 deadline. You can submit a paper registration form to the County Clerk's office. Come to the Student Activities Center to retrieve a Voter Registration Card and for assistance in filling it out. 

How can I vote in my hometown as a student?

To vote in your hometown, fill out and submit your registration with that address. You will then need to request an absentee ballot. If you are from out-of-state, be sure to check your state's Department of Elections rules and deadlines for registering to vote and requesting an absentee ballot. Campus Vote Project also has a useful resource for looking up individual state information.

How can I see if I'm already registered?

Look yourself up! Check your voter registration status HERE 

What address do I use to register?

You must use your full physical address to register. So, if you are living on campus in a residence hall and want to register at BU then you need to put 2001 Newburg Road AND your hall name/box number on your voter registration form (see example registration below): 

Petrik Hall box #123
2001 Newburg Road 
Louisville, KY 40205

If you live off-campus, use that mailing address.

Many Bellarmine students prefer to register in their home districts and vote absentee. If you want to vote absentee you will register at your home address. You should request an absentee ballot be sent to your Louisville address. See the links for absentee balloting for more information.

I have moved. Do I need to register again?

YES. You will need to update your voter registration.

If you are an out-of-state student, Campus Vote Project also has a useful resource for looking up individual state information.

How do I fill out the voter registration form adequately?

The most important piece of advice we can give you is to write LEGIBLY and include your FULL social security number. Make sure you fully complete and sign the form. If you have any questions, we are here to help, so come to the Student Activities Center and we can help!

Can I vote absentee? What's the deadline?

In Kentucky, the deadline to apply online for an absentee ballot is October 7, 2024 no later than 11:59 p.m. EST.

Absentee ballots should be requested as far in advance as possible to allow time for the local elections office to mail the ballot to the voter and for the voter to complete and return the ballot. Completed absentee ballots must be returned to the correct registrar’s office before the close of the polls on Election Day.

NEW in 2020: Any absentee ballots that arrive to the registrar’s office by noon on the third day after the election, that is postmarked on or before election day, will be counted.

If you are a Kentucky resident, you can apply for an absentee ballot online through the Kentucky Voter Information Portal. If you are an out-of-state student, be sure to check your state's deadlines and rules. Campus Vote Project also has a useful resource for looking up individual state information.

NEW FOR 2020: Any registered voter may vote by absentee ballot in any election. 

Following the processing of your absentee voting application, you will receive your ballot in the mail. You may receive a notice along with your ballot explaining that you have to provide a copy of one of the following types of identification:

• current and valid photo ID (Driver’s License)
• utility bill, government check, or paycheck that shows your name and address
• another government document which shows your name and address.

If you are notified that you must submit one of these federal ID requirements, and fail to do so, your ballot will be considered a provisional ballot and your vote will not be counted until a copy of one of the ID requirements is provided.

What identification do I need to vote?

A Student ID may be used to vote in Kentucky! 

In-person voters must show an acceptable type of ID at the polls. Voters may show any one of a number of documents, including:

Driver's License 
Military ID
College ID
Kentucky Government ID

If you don't have a photo ID, you may obtain a free photo ID card at your credit circuit clerk's office or one of the Kentucky Cabinet's regional offices. 

Committment to Civic Engagement

Higher education’s focus on civic engagement not only helps students to better understand their impact on those around them, it creates better students. Encouraging and assisting your students to vote will establish participatory habits that will last well beyond their collegiate experience. Incorporating democratic engagement into campus life creates structure and stability for students as they explore what their political beliefs are, and how they would like to engage in the democratic process.

The Higher Education Act of 1965 requires institutions to distribute voter registration forms to their students. However, beyond that, instructions and guidance are vague. The Campus Vote Project and Young Invincibles have created a more measurable (and manageable) set of guidelines for schools to follow to create a more voter-friendly campus.

ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge

Bellarmine University is one of 1300+ campuses around the country taking part in the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, a nonpartisan initiative that inspires, supports and celebrates colleges and universities working to improve civic learning, political engagement, and voter participation. 

The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge empowers colleges and universities to achieve excellence in student democratic engagement. The challenge believes higher education should play a role in developing an active and informed citizenry by educating students, motivating them to engage in American democracy, and instilling the of lifelong participation. Bellarmine is proud to be supporting this initiative. 

Ask Every Student | Commitment Campus 

Ask Every Student is a non-partisan program for higher education institutions to scale, apply, and implement voter registration strategies that reach every student on campus. With this program, we are uniquely positioned to creatively and collaboratively address the developing context of how we might ask every student under the conditions of COVID-19. Bellarmine understands that whether we’re operating in digital or physical space, we can still find ways to ask every student about participating in the democratic process. 

Ask Every Student has found that the key to reaching full student voter registration of all eligible students comes down to accessing at least 3-5 minutes of one on one focus from every student on campus, through a systematized process in order to prepare them to confidently navigate the democratic process, beginning with voter registration.

As a commitment campus, Bellarmine University will work to include Ask Every Student strategies and tactics into their action plans and voter engagement efforts.