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Mark your calendars. Everything you need to know about mail-in and early in-person voting, including the first day you can cast your ballot in the election. Use this to answer the following questions:

• Can I vote by mail without an excuse?
• Can I register to vote and cast my ballot on the same day?
• Can I vote in person before Election Day?
• After I vote by mail, can I track my ballot?

, formerly called Project Vote Smart, is a non-profit, non-partisan research organization that collects and distributes information on candidates for public office in the United States. It covers candidates and elected officials in six basic areas: background information, issue positions (via the Political Courage Test), voting records, campaign finances, interest group ratings, and speeches and public statements. They also offer the widget to help you sift through information to determine your "political soulmate" from among the candidates.

The U.S. Department of Education (Department) released a "" to provide resources for educational institutions to help them identify and implement actions to assist eligible students with voter registration and voting. Recognizing that our nation's schools, colleges, and universities have a critical role in promoting civic engagement, the toolkit will provide them with strategies to support their students.

"Voting is fundamental to our democracy, and our schools and colleges play an important role in helping our students become active participants in our democratic society," said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. "From providing civic education during a student's elementary and secondary school years to facilitating the voting process for all students during their postsecondary educational experience, our education system helps students engage in the electoral process. I'm proud that the resources we are releasing today will help reduce the barriers and obstacles many students—especially our underserved students—face in participating fully in our democracy." 

The toolkit includes explanations of current legal requirements for schools, recommendations for non-partisan steps they can take to expand voter participation across their student bodies, federal resources they can utilize and share to support voters in their communities, and examples from the field with effective and promising strategies from schools across the nation.

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With the elections approaching, it’s crucial for college students to engage in the voting process as their votes can influence policies affecting education, tuition, healthcare, and career opportunities, ensuring their voices are heard in decisions that impact their lives.  

To support this engagement,  created a resource titled "College Students' Voting Guide”. This comprehensive resource provides students with essential information to navigate the voting process confidently, covering topics such as: 

• Why Does Your Vote Matters as a College Student? 
• First-time voter guide: What You Need to Know 
• How Voting Affects Your Future: Shaping Your Future Through Voting 

produces nonpartisan voters guides that show where candidates stand. They’re produced by veteran journalists with links to credible sources. Whether you vote by mail or head to the polls, their guides let you do it with confidence.

is a nonprofit project operated by the Poynter Institute. It began in 2007 as a project of the Tampa Bay Times (then the St. Petersburg Times), with reporters and editors from the newspaper and its affiliated news media partners reporting on the accuracy of statements made by elected officials, candidates, their staffs, lobbyists, interest groups, and others involved in U.S. politics.

, a project of the , is a nonpartisan, nonprofit “consumer advocate” for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. They monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases.

is an online resource for research on controversial issues. The content of ProCon.org is produced by five staff researchers, and its stated mission is "Promoting critical thinking, education, and informed citizenship by presenting controversial issues in a straightforward, nonpartisan, primarily pro-con format." For each of its U.S. presidential election sites since 2008, ProCon.org has attracted millions of readers with its coverage of the candidates and their positions on key issues. The New York Times (“Great Free Websites for Teaching Election 2012,” September 5, 2012) hailed the ProCon.org election site as: “The most comprehensive teaching tool for researching the candidate’s stance on issues.”

California ballot propositions -

program is a 4-month initiative specifically designed to support student leaders advancing service, service-learning and community engagement at LEAD California member campuses throughout the state.

Upon successfully completing a term of service of at least 35-50 hours, students receive a $500 scholarship from LEAD California. Students are engaged in providing direct service to the community or supporting a service-learning program, or both. Students are involved in addressing every major issue confronting California and beyond – from access to and success in higher education to economic development, health disparities to homelessness and poverty.

For more information, contact Piper McGinley, LEAD California’s Associate Director.