Want to vote? Of course you do. Confused about absentee voting? Who wouldn’t be? So to break it down for you, NU Decides: 2008, a new student-founded group at Northwestern, is helping students get registered and obtain their absentee ballots.

“[Our] goal is to register and get out to the polls a historic number of students here at Northwestern,” said School of Communication sophomore and volunteer coordinator Kim Castle. As part of this effort, NU Decides is registering students to vote and providing absentee ballot application forms for most states.

According to Castle, all you need is a state issued photo ID (such as your driver’s license) and the last four digits of your social security number. If you drop by the Arch, the Rock, Norris, or Tech, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. by Thursday, Oct. 2, you can fill out the required forms. NU Decides mails everything for you; you just have to wait for your absentee ballot to show up in the mail. It’s that simple– and it’s free, though NU Decides is accepting donations to cover the cost of stamps.

“It’s incredibly important that we all get out and vote because it’s one of the best and most effective ways to get our voice heard,” said Castle.

Already registered to vote? Just click on your state to get the absentee ballot application. Fill it out and go to www.govoteabsentee.org with your zip code to find out where to mail it.

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