Voter registration deadline arrives today

By John Manganaro

Today is the last day to register to vote in the Nov 2. midterm elections, when citizens on… Today is the last day to register to vote in the Nov 2. midterm elections, when citizens on campus and across Pennsylvania will choose a new governor, senator, representatives at the state and national levels and other local officials.

Students and community members who have not yet registered can do so in a variety of ways.

Potential voters can visit their nearest state Department of Transportation photo-license center or other state offices that provide public assistance. These include armed forces recruitment centers, court offices, county health offices and the county district attorney’s office, among others.

People who plan to register must have lived in Pennsylvania and the election district in which they want to for at least 30 days before the upcoming election. They also must be 18 years of age on or before the day of the election.

Voters can apply for absentee ballots with a reason if they plan on voting away from their primary residence. Students attending college away from home can apply for an absentee ballot.

Once a person has registered to vote, he does not have to register again unless he changes residence, name or political party affiliation.

A number of student groups at Pitt have participated in voter registration drives over the past few months, including the Student Vote Coalition, Black Action Society and Kappa Kappa Gamma and Theta Phi Alpha sororities.

They have tabled outside the William Pitt Union and around other parts of campus over the past several weeks, together pulling in more than 1,500 voter registrations.