SMU students eligible for same-day voter registration

By Regina Barbosa
News Editor

Saint Mary’s University students are eligible for same-day registration at election polls and will be provided transportation to their voting location.

Pre-registration for voting ended on Oct. 16 this year; however, Minnesota provides same-day registration at the election polls. Any U.S. citizen who is age 18 or older, has been living in Minnesota for at least 20 days prior to Election Day and can provide a current name and address to verify their residence in the precinct can register to vote, according to the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office.

According to Lynn Theurer, chairwoman of the Winona league of women voters, current residents of Saint Mary’s University can provide their student ID and social security number to register to vote at Living Light Church, Winona’s Precinct 2 voting location, located 0.2 miles southwest of campus on Highway 14.

Minnesota polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. This year, transportation will be provided between SMU and Living Light Church for voting on Nov. 6 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to Brian Thomas, Student Senate’s vice president for public affairs.

Same-day registration positively affects voter turnout. According to the secretary of state’s office, Minnesota leads the nation in voter participation and has consistently done so since its same day registration began.

According to the Minnesota Secretary of State website, over 500,000 Minnesotans use same day registration in a typical presidential election year, and the Minnesotans most likely to use same day registration are between the ages of 18-38 and age 93 and older.

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