Library: Student Civic and Community Engagement: Civic Engagement

Your right to vote matters.

As a college student, you have a great opportunity to explore ways to be civically engaged in the world around you as well as advocate for things that are important to you. This section will help you learn how you can register to vote in New York State and how you can make your voice heard!

Campus Affiliations

ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge
Buffalo State College received the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge Highly Established Action Plan Seal of recognition in acknowledgement of our commitment to increase nonpartisan democratic engagement by promoting civic learning, political engagement, and college student voter participation. The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge empowers colleges and universities to achieve excellence in nonpartisan student democratic engagement.
Voter Friendly Campus
Buffalo State College is recognized as a Voter Friendly Campus! The Voter Friendly Campus designation process was developed in 2016 in an effort to further the work of the Students Learn Students Vote coalition in creating more measurable and manageable guidelines for institutions to follow in order to create a more voter-friendly campus. Buffalo State has been designated since 2021.

Voter Registration and Voting

Vote 411
VOTE411 is committed to ensuring voters have the information they need to successfully participate in every election. Whether it's local, state or federal, every election is important to ensuring our laws and policies reflect the values and beliefs of our communities.
Rock the Vote
Rock the Vote is the most trusted and effective nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to building the political power of young people.
Vote.org
Vote.org uses technology to simplify political engagement, increase voter turnout, and strengthen American democracy.
Can I Vote?
Need help with voting? You've come to the right place. This nonpartisan website was created by state election officials to help eligible voters figure out how and where to go vote.
BallotReady
Where you go before you vote. Check your registration, make a plan to vote, and research every name and measure on the ballot with BallotReady.
Campus Election Engagement Project
Working to help America’s college, university, and community youth vote, Civic Influencers™ assists administrators, faculty, staff, and student and youth leaders to engage youth in federal, state and local elections. Youth voting promotes a more equitable and inclusive democracy and addresses past and present disenfranchisement.
National Issues Forums
National Issues Forums (NIF) is a network of civic, educational, and other organizations, and individuals whose common interest is to promote public deliberation in America. It includes civic clubs, religious organizations, libraries, schools, and many other groups that meet to discuss critical public issues. Forum participants range from teenagers to retirees, prison inmates to community leaders, and literacy students to university students.
New York - Campus Vote Project
Historically, young adults have voted at lower rates than older cohorts. They are also the newest members of our democracy, move more frequently, are less likely to have a driver’s license, and are less likely to be contacted directly by political campaigns than older age groups, all of which are barriers to registering and voting.
New York Voter Registration Seach
Use this tool to check your registration status, find your polling place, and track your absentee ballot.
The League of Women Voters
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization working to protect and expand voting rights and ensure everyone is represented in our democracy. We empower voters and defend democracy through advocacy, education, and litigation, at the local, state, and national levels.

New York State Government

Election Laws

Evaluating Political Polls

Money In Politics

Video Tutorials

Help! I'm a College Student. Where Can I Register to Vote?
College students can choose to register to vote using the address to their residence hall, off-campus apartment, or their home address. Which is best for you? This video will walk you through the scenarios so you can register and vote in a way that makes sense for you.
How Do I Register to Vote?
Are you registered to vote? Learn the steps to registering to vote in New York State and get answers to the most important questions to complete on the voter registration form.
How to Complete Your Voter Registration Form
This video will walk you through how to complete your voter registration form using any address, including your campus dorm address. Once you've completed your voter registration form you can mail or drop it off to the Board of Elections Office.
How to Register to Vote Using the Online NYS DMV System
Need an easier way to register than a paper form? If you have a New York State issued driver's license, learner's permit, or non-driver ID card, you can use the DMV's online registration system to register to vote! We'll walk you through the steps to get you registered using this quick and easy system!
How to Apply for an Absentee Ballot Online
New York State is now allowing voters to apply for an absentee ballot ONLINE. Now you have an alternative to a paper form! Don't let a lack of access to a printer or stamps keep you from voting in this election!
Voting by Absentee Ballot
Voting by absentee ballot can be tricky. We're walking New York State registered voters through the steps to apply and vote via absentee ballot for the November 3, 2020 general election.
What is Early Voting?
Did you know you can cast your vote in-person up to 10 days before an election? That's right, all New Yorkers can vote early for every election. Learn how to take advantage of this new, more convenient way to vote!
How Do I Learn What's on my Ballot?
Does thinking about voting fill you with anxiety because you are unsure what candidates or measures will be on your ballot? Fear not! We show you some tools that you can use to look up who and what will be on your ballot, as well as what is on those candidate's platforms, so you can feel informed when you head to the polls.
Six Easy Tips for First Time Voters
Are you voting for the first time? We've put together a list of six simple tips to help you feel confident to cast your vote on Election Day! We'll also share your rights as a voter on Election Day and the Election Protection Hotline numbers if you run into any issues.