Make Your Voice Heard
Be sure to vote. Your voice and your vote can affect change. It's that simple.
Voting Affects You
Despite being the largest share of eligible voters, Millennials and Gen Z have low voting rates. It's important for you to be part of the change you want to see in your community and in our nation. Local, state, and nationally-elected officials make decisions that impact your daily life, including:
- Student debt
- Funding for higher education
- Transportation
- Healthcare
Voter Friendly Campus
In Spring 2020, the campus submitted an application for Buffalo State to receive a Voter Friendly Campus designation for March 2021-December 2022.
The Voter Friendly Campus designation program was started through the partnership of Campus Vote Project and NASPA (National Association of Student Personnel Administrators) in 2016. The Higher Education Act of 1965 requires institutions to distribute voter registration forms to their students. However, beyond that, instructions and guidance are vague. The Campus Vote Project and Young Invincibles have created a more measurable (and manageable) set of guidelines for schools to follow to create a more voter-friendly campus. The goal of the Voter Friendly Campus program is to help institutions develop a strategy to engage students and set clear goals so a path can be created in advance of upcoming elections. These activities can be institutionalized for years to come, keeping students engaged as they enter, and move through their time at school.
Higher education’s focus on civic engagement not only helps students to better understand their impact on those around them, but it also creates better students. Encouraging and assisting Buffalo State students to vote will establish participatory habits that will last well beyond their collegiate experience. Incorporating democratic engagement into campus life creates structure and stability for students as they explore what their political beliefs are and how they would like to engage in the democratic process.
Read Buffalo State's Voter Friendly Campus Action Plan for 2020-2025 Read Buffalo State's Voter Friendly Campus Final Report 2020 Review Buffalo State's NSLVE data for 2014 and 2018
How to Register
You can register in person at your county board of elections or at any New York State Agency-Based voter registration center.
1. Complete the online New York State Voter Registration Form.
2. Print out your form.
3. Mail your completed form to your county board of elections.
English Voter Registration Form (PDF)
The DMV Electronic Voter Registration Application allows you to register to vote or to update the information you have on file with the New York State Board of Elections. Completed applications are forwarded to the appropriate county or city board of elections for approval and processing.
https://dmv.ny.gov/more-info/electronic-voter-registration-application
Online Registration Requirements
- A current New York State DMV-issued driver license, permit or Non-driver ID
- The ZIP Code currently on record with the DMV
- The last 4 digits of your Social Security Number (SSN)
Registration Help
If You're From Another Area of New York
University students have two choices about where to register to vote.
1. You can register using your campus or off-campus apartment address.
2. OR register using your permanent home address.
What Address Should You Use?
Using a Dorm or On-Campus Address
1. Complete a voter registration form.
2. Completing question 8: Use the following address: 1300 Elmwood Avenue; Dorm Building, Room Number; Buffalo; 14222. The county is Erie.
New York State Voter Registration Requirements
To register to vote in New York State, you must:
- Be a United States citizen;
- Be 18 years old by December 31 of the year in which you complete the voter registration form (note: you must be 18 years old by the date of the general, primary or other election in which you want to vote);
- Be a Resident of the state and county, city or village for at least 30 days before the election;
- Not be in prison or on parole for a felony conviction (unless parolee pardoned or restored rights of citizenship);
- Not be adjudged mentally incompetent by a court;
- Not claim the right to vote elsewhere.
Questions about Voter Registration?
If you have questions about your voter registration, please reach out to us.
Campus Contact
Lisa Kragbé, Assistant Director of Civic and Community Engagement.
South Wing 120
Phone: 716-878-3919
Email: cce@buffalostate.edu