Hamline students have an opportunity to make their voices heard this year at the midterm elections, and there are many ways to place your votes.

While some are likely to vote at the polls on Nov. 6, other Hamline students have various reasons for choosing to vote absentee.. Some choose to vote absentee because their vote carries more weight in their home district, some disagree with their home districts political majority, and some just feel more informed on the local issues. Absentee voting is an option for anyone who will not be present in their hometown district election day.

Sydney Holets, a first-year and Creative Writing major, is voting absentee this year for her hometown of Byron. Holets  emphasized the importance of voting regardless of district, putting it at a “ten” for importance.

Though this was Holet’s first time voting absentee, she said the process was easy. Step-by-step guides are available. Students just have to request an absentee ballot, fill in the bubbles and a voter registration form with a witness present and mail it back. The postage is pre-paid.

No matter how you vote on election day, make sure to keep track of the timing. Absentee ballots are returned by snail mail, so it is recommended that voters sent out the final form a week before the election to be sure their vote is counted. If that timing doesn’t work, however, Minnesota offers same-day voter registration, allowing everyone to register at the polls on Nov. 6 and place their votes.

Being an informed voter is important regardless of how your vote is cast, however. Findiing information on candidates and their policies is made easier by local newspaper such as the Star Tribune. Other voting resources are available through your Secretary of State’s official website. If you’re voting absentee, be sure to specify the state as each state is different. For Minnesota’s, go to www.sos.state.mn.us.

Every vote can count and there are options for students to make their voices heard on election day.