Should I Vote in Pennsylvania or my home state?
In Pennsylvania, college students who are eligible to vote may choose to vote at their home address where a parent/guardian still resides OR at their address where they live while attending college. This option applies to both in-state and out-of-state students. You can only vote once and in one place for each election.
- Your voter registration is tied to an address, and that address is tied to a specific precinct which is assigned a specific polling location.
To decide where you should vote, consider where you feel more connected and informed about local issues. College students spend the majority of their year in the town of their educational institution, and it’s perfectly legal and ethical to vote in your college town. You might also consider where it would be easier for you to vote based on the timing of the election as well as the impact of where you vote.
How to register to vote
How do I find my polling place in Centre County?
Once registered to vote you must vote at the appropriate location. Being registered does not mean you can vote at any location.
- Your voter registration is tied to an address, and that address is tied to a specific precinct which is assigned a specific polling location.
Students living on campus at University Park don't vote because they are Penn State students; they vote at the HUB because they are registered using their dorm address which is assigned to that polling location's precinct in Centre County.
- Students who live in apartments and rental houses might vote at a different polling location near where they live.
- This also means that if you intend to vote in your college town and move into a new dorm or new apartment, you will need to update your registration.
If you live off campus, you can find your polling location by entering your address at Vote411.