Voting resources for students
2024 Presidential Preference Primary Election will be held on Tuesday, February 6, 2024.
- Early Voting begins on Saturday, January 27 and runs through Friday, February 2, 2024.
2024 Primary Election will be held on Tuesday, June 11.
- Early Voting begins on Saturday, May 25 and runs through Friday, June 7.
2024 General Election will be held on Tuesday, November 5
- Early voting begins on Saturday, October 19 and runs through Friday, November 1
To register to vote or update your voter registration, please visit vote.gov.
Why student votes matter
According to the Census Bureau's statistics, in the 2020 general election, 51.4% of voters between the ages of 18-24 voted. There was a huge increase in voter turnout for that age group, but still the lowest turnout rate of any age group, compared to 76.4% voting turnout of 65-74 age group.
In other words, young people's perspectives and voices (your perspectives and voices) are disproportionately missing from important conversations and policy-making decisions.
The University of Nevada, Reno participates in the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE) study by Tufts University. This study is used to inform our institution on the level of voter engagement on our camps. We are proud to say that students at Nevada turn out to vote at a rate 6% higher than the national average3.
Registering to vote in the residence halls
Students registering to vote in the residence halls need to ensure they use two critical pieces of information while registering to vote:
1. Valid mailing address. Use the Center for Student Engagement voter registration address, listed below.
Residential hall students, as well as any student who is unable to receive mail where they live, can use the Center for Student Engagement mail address to register to vote and receive their mail-in ballots. The address is to be used only for voting registration and ballots purposes—not for personal mail delivery.
CSE Voter Reg.
MS 0058
1664 N. Virginia Ave.
Reno, NV 89557
2. Residential address. This is your residence hall address hall listed below.
| Residence Hall | Address | City | State | Zip |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argenta Hall | 1201 N. Virginia Street | Reno | Nevada | 89503 |
| Canada Hall | 1255 N. Virginia Street | Reno | Nevada | 89503 |
| Great Basin Hall | 1250 N. Virginia Street | Reno | Nevada | 89503 |
| Manzanita and Juniper Halls | 1014 N. Virginia | Reno | Nevada | 89503 |
| The Nevada Living Learning Community | 1295 N. Virginia Street | Reno | Nevada | 89503 |
| Nye Hall | 55 Artemisia Way | Reno | Nevada | 89503 |
| Peavine Hall | 38 W. 11th Street | Reno | Nevada | 89503 |
| Sierra Hall | 1001 N. Virginia Street | Reno | Nevada | 89503 |
Vote power: High school voter registration drives
You have the power to make your voice heard—it's your vote power. The Center for Student Engagement works to create opportunities for high school students to access and exercise their vote power. We work closely with local high schools in the Washoe County School District, in a partnership with the Washoe County Registrar of Voters Office, to register high school seniors to vote. If you're a student at Nevada and are interested in volunteering for Vote Power: High School Voter Registration Drive, please check GivePulse for upcoming drives. If you're an educator and are interested in having us visit your high school, please contact the Center for Student Engagement at studentengagement@unr.edu.
Sources
- US Census Bureau. “Voting and Registration in the Election of November 2018.” The United States Census Bureau, 22 Apr. 2019.
- Manning, Jennifer. “Membership of the 115th Congress: A Profile." United States Senate, Congressional Research Service, 20 Dec. 2018.
- "Student Voting Rates for University of Nevada-Reno." National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement Campus Report. Tufts University Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life. September 2019. Please reach out for a copy of this report.
Frequently asked questions about voting
You have three ways to cast your vote in Nevada.
- Drop your “Vote by mail” ballot in the mail
- All registered voters will receive "vote by mail" ballot to your address.
- Make sure you are registered to vote at your correct address to receive your ballot!
- Fill out your “vote by mail” ballot & secure the ballot in the provided pre-paid return envelope
- Place your “vote by mail” ballot into your mailbox at your house or drop off at the nearest post office
- Your ballot must be post marked no later than Election Day.
- All registered voters will receive "vote by mail" ballot to your address.
- Place your “Vote by mail” ballot in a secure drop box
- Fill out your “vote by mail” ballot & secure the ballot in the provided return envelope
- Ballot will be scanned by poll worker before going into a secure box
- Visit a “vote by mail” drop off location in Washoe County
- Washoe County Polling locations
- Vote at a polling location
- Bring your vote by mail ballot to a polling location in Washoe County
- If you don’t surrender your vote by mail ballot, you will be asked to sign an affirmation swearing you will not vote twice
- Bring your sample ballot & your own writing pen
If you don't have a Nevada state ID, you must register in-person. If you do have a Nevada state ID, you can register in-person, online or at the voting location.
- In person
- You can fill out a paper form at the ASUN Center for Student Engagement offices on the 3rd Floor of the Joe Crowley Student Union. Our hours are Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. and Saturday 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
- Washoe County Voter Registration Office at 101 E. 9th St, Reno, NV 89512 between 8:00am-5:00pm.
- Online in Nevada at Secretary of State website
- Must have Nevada Driver’s License/ID Card.
- Must have last four digits of your Social Security number.
- Must have continuously resided in your Nevada county at 30 days before the date of the election.
- Must have continuously resided in your precinct at least 10 days before the date of election.
- At voting location
- Nevada has in-person same day registration at any voting or early voting site if you have a Nevada Driver’s License or Nevada ID. You might also be asked to provide proof of residency.
The primary election will take place on Tuesday, June 11, 2024
May 25, 2024- June 7, 2024 will be early voting for the primary election.
Early voting allows registered voters to vote at various locations throughout the state for 14-day period prior to the primary election and general election.
The general election will take place on November 5, 2024.
October 19, 2024 - November 1, 2024 will be early voting for the general election.
Early voting allows registered voters to vote at various locations throughout the state for 14-day period prior to the primary election and general election.
Early voting in Nevada is available to every voter who is voting as a Nevada resident. Voters can vote at any location in their respective county where early voting is offered.
Clarification: In-person early voting requires you to vote in the county where you are registered to vote. For example, if your primary residence is in Las Vegas (and you used your primary address to register), you will need to request a mail-in absentee ballot, if you are currently living in Washoe County for school.
For other early voting locations and times, visit the Nevada Secretary of State’s website.
The 2024 general election is on November 5th. The closest Election Day polling location is at the Joe Crowley Student Union. You can see a full listing of polling locations on Washoe County's website.
The general election is open to all registered voters, in the state they are registered to vote. Each state’s law varies on who is eligible to register to vote. Please consult your Secretary of State’s website.
Voting takes place on public offices like the: U.S. senators, U.S. representatives, state senators, state assemblypersons, state supreme court judges, appeal court judges, county commissioners, city councilmembers, city mayors and school board representatives.
Ballot measures, such as referendums, are also voted on at the general election.
If you are unable to vote in person because you are attending college in a different county, state or country, you may vote by absentee ballot. Please note that you may need to request an absentee ballot if you are not from Washoe County and you used your primary address (e.g. if your primary address is in Las Vegas) to register to vote.
If you are a student living out of state or outside your voting precinct, it may not be possible for you to get to the polls on Election Day. Your best option is to request to vote by mail or absentee ballot.
Any registered voter may request to vote by mail. To request an absentee ballot, you must complete and submit an Absentee Ballot Request Form to the Registrar of Voters office in the county you are registered to vote.
If you are a first-time voter, you must provide an acceptable form of identification with your completed Absentee Ballot Request Form.
Acceptable forms of identification may include the following:
- Current Nevada driver's license
- Current Nevada state identification card
- Rent receipt with pre-printed address
- Bank statement or pre-printed check
- Credit card statement
- Vehicle registration or proof of insurance
- Government document (tax bill, income information) or current utility bill.
If you want to vote in Nevada, you must be a resident of Nevada for 30 days preceding any election, be at least 18 years of age on or before Election Day and be a U.S. Citizen. You are eligible to vote in Nevada even if you are classified as "out of state" by your college or university.
- You may choose to register using your current campus mailing address
- You may register and vote in Nevada using your permanent Nevada residence as long as you do not intend to set up a primary residence in another state
- To register online in Nevada, you must have a Nevada driver's license or Nevada ID. If you don’t have this you MUST register by a paper form. You can do this at the Center for Student Engagement on the 3rd floor of the Joe or at the Washoe County Registrar Office.
- Once you are registered, you will receive a voter card by mail from your county
- Keep in mind that you may register and vote in only one county/state per election
Start by going to vote.gov. Select your state/territory and click "find out how to register." This will take you to state/territory-specific voter registration information. Each state has different deadlines for registering and asking for an absentee ballot.
Absentee ballot links in other states:
- California: California Absentee Ballots
- Oregon: Oregon Absentee Ballots
- Washington: Washinton Absentee Ballots
- Utah: Utah Absentee Ballots
- Idaho: Idaho Absentee Ballots