Forgot to apply for an absentee ballot in your home state? Unable to make it home on Election Day?
Well, as a Middlebury College student you are a resident of Vermont, which means, as long as you are eligible to vote in the United States, you can register and vote here in Middlebury on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 6. Vermont allows voters to register on the same day they vote, including Election Day. Vermonters are also allowed to vote and register early.
Any student can easily register in person at the Middlebury Town Offices or online before Election Day with valid identification. Here’s how to do it:
Registering in Advance
Students can register to vote in Middlebury prior to Election Day by visiting the Middlebury Town Offices at 77 Main Street. The office is open Monday - Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The office will remain open on Friday, Nov. 2 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The office is closed weekends, and on Monday, Nov. 5th, the day before the election.
Students can also register online (https://olvr.sec.state.vt.us), but need to do so before Monday, Nov. 5 in order to ensure they are included on the printed voter checklist.
Same Day Registration
Vermont is one of only 15 states (plus the District of Columbia) to allow same day registration at the polls. This means that if you go down to the Middlebury Town Offices right now to register, you can also vote.
“Same Day Voter Registration is a great tool for us to use in order to ensure everyone’s right to vote, “ said Middlebury Town Clerk Ann Webster. “But if a large number of people wait until the last minute to register, because they can, this creates long waiting lines just for the registration process.”
Webster strongly urges Middlebury students who plan to register in Vermont to do so as early as possible, but the same day process is an option meant to increase flexibility and access to voting.
Election Day voting will also occur at the Middlebury Town Offices at 77 Main Street. The polls will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
What to Bring
Whether you are registering early, on Election Day, or online, here is what you need: a form of ID, your Middlebury College ID (optional, but may speed up the process), the last 4 digits of your Social Security number, and the ID number from your Vermont driver’s license (only if you’re a Vermont resident).
Webster also made sure to note that students are only allowed to vote in one state, so if you have already voted in another state for the Nov. 6 election, you are unable to vote in Vermont.
Porter Bowman ’21.5 is the Senior Opinions Editor.
He previously served as the Correspondent to the Student Government Association (SGA) and a Staff Writer for the News and Local sections.
Bowman is pursuing an International Politics and Economics major and a History minor.
During the summer of 2020, Bowman started a podcast called “Why Not U.S.?” where he interviewed young people in their 20s serving in political office across the country.
He also worked as a producer and researcher for “Trickeration,” an investigative sports podcast from iHeartMedia hosted by Campus alum Matt Waxman ’01.5.
When not watching the West Wing or finishing crossword puzzles, Bowman plays on the Middlebury varsity golf team alongside basketball, club tennis, and intramural volleyball.
He lost on Teen Jeopardy! in November 2016.
