The University of Pennsylvania Office of Government and Community Affairs (OGCA) offers the following guidance to our campus community to support and encourage successful participation in the General Election on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. Help your vote succeed by getting clear, accurate information from trusted sources. Email ogca@pobox.upenn.edu with any questions.

Get Smart: Each state makes its own voting and election rules, including how and when to register. Check with your state’s Secretary of State or your local election office to get the most up-to-date and detailed information for voting where you live. Be cautious when entrusting your personal information and voter registration materials to third parties. Start here: https://vote.gov/

Be Alert To Changes: Dates, deadlines, forms, formats, locations, laws, methods and machines are likely to have been modified recently. Voter ID requirements vary. In Pennsylvania, voters must show proof of identity when voting at a polling place for the first time. PennCards are an acceptable form of ID. 

Consider The Source: Identify reliable sources for news and knowledge. Be ready to discern misinformation and disinformation, partisan influences and nonpartisan resources. https://www.factcheck.org/

Make A Plan:

• Register and Verify Your Registration: In Pennsylvania, go to https://www.pavoterservices.pa.gov/
• Research your best method to vote successfully—early voting, in-person, by mail, or ballot drop off. 
• Respond ahead of deadlines. Account for mail, volume, human error, long lines, and other delays. In Pennsylvania, the last day to register is October 21. The last day to request a mail-in ballot is October 29.

Sign Here: Your written signature is an important element of registering and voting successfully. Dates are also very important for compliance. Use a legible and consistent signature on your forms. Read the instructions for signing and dating your mail-in ballot in all required places before returning it.

Get Specialized Support:

• Military Voter Assistance and overseas citizens: https://www.fvap.gov/
• Voters with Disabilities: https://www.ndrn.org/voting/
• Language Accessibility for voters: https://www.eac.gov/language-access-resources
• Local Assistance: Satellite Election Office, 4029 Market Street; (215) 686-7803

Get Involved: 

• Volunteer with Penn Leads the Vote, Penn’s nonpartisan student-led voter engagement organization, https://www.vote.upenn.edu/volunteer/.
• Join the School of Nursing’s special initiative, Nurses for the Vote, Chart the Future by contacting Monique Howard at mshoward@nursing.upenn.edu.