College students uncertain about their 2022 midterm mail-in ballots, amidst absentee voting

changes
Inshara Ali, Sabrina Soffer, Jenna Stanco

George Washington University student Ayra Ali, 20, had her absentee ballot filled out and on its
way nearly two weeks before election day. However, when Nov. 8 rolled around, she was noti-
fied by the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections that her ballot was never received and
was not counted.

“It’s so frustrating because, as a Floridian, I know my vote mattered in such an important elec-
tion,” said Ali. “I just don’t really know why it wasn’t received–I’m not sure if I did something
wrong or if there was an issue on their part.”

This is not an isolated incident. Students across the nation are running into issues with their ab-
sentee ballots–whether it be from changes in voting laws, issues with sending and receiving their
ballots in on time, or a lack of information concerning voting access. Mail-in ballots are the most
common voting method used by university students, according to the National Education Asso-
ciation.

“Living on a college campus makes voting less accessible,” said GW sophomore Stormy Jack-
son, 19. “If you're not in your state, the rules are different and it’s not easy to get around that.
They make you pay to notarize your ballot if you have a mail-in, and that leaves so many people
behind. Thankfully, I paid for th notary and figured it out–voting for abortion access and educa-
tion.”

According to a report by the Voting Rights Lab, nearly 34 states had changed mail-in voting
laws since the 2020 presidential election. Of these states, 11 introduced laws that restricted ab-
sentee voting. This has left many students in the dark on the state of their absentee votes.

“I submitted my ballot relatively late, hence my whole case of not having my absentee ballot. I
would have voted sooner if I knew,” said Conrad Goerl, a 20 year-old from Houston, Texas, who
voted with a provisional ballot. “I was a little confused about the process— to go scour my gov-
ernment’s website until I found my county and go fill out a form even though I didn't end up vot-
ing that way. I would have liked to have more information beforehand.”

The Voting Rights Lab report also found that nearly 24,000 ballots were not counted in Texas in
the primary election as a result of voters forgetting to provide the newly-required identification
to vote or issues with county records. The same issue occurred in many other states, including
Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.
In addition to new voting laws, many students are having difficulty finding places to send their
ballots on campus.

“I struggled to find a mailbox because there were none on campus and no one told me where to
go. So, I just kept my ballot in my backpack and just walked around the area until I found one.”
said by the metro stop,” said GW sophomore Ari Patinkin, 20, who identifies as Republican.

Regardless of the challenges, various students prevailed in casting their votes. Young voters are
more-than-ever passionate about their voices being counted. The surge in blatant antisemitism,
the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and political polarization have been major motivators for Gen-
Zers.

“I think that voting is the last voice the voters have. Social media has become a cesspool of radi-
cal ideology, where the voice of the people has been silenced by those more indoctrinated by the
skeletons of each party's base,” said Patinkin. “Voting is the most important form of condemning
and condoning.”