FALL 2020 VOTING AT KEENE STATE COLLEGE
Due to increased safety precautions and fewer volunteers, exercising your right to vote this year comes with some challenges. In order to reduce risk for you and your Keene neighbors, and to avoid long lines at the polls on election day, you have a few options:
- OPTION I: If you are planning to vote in Keene, the Keene City Clerk’s Office has created a ONE-STOP PROCESS @ KEENE STATE COLLEGE:
- Please fill out the form at this link KSC Absentee Ballot Application-COVID or complete the attached printable copy and take a picture of the completed form and email or text back to the city clerk’s office: Keenevotes@ci.keene.nh.us Cell – 603-803-8003.
- Select a date (October 7, or 8) to come to the Student Center Atrium Conference Room (behind the ATM machine) between 10am-4pm, and pick up your registration and/or your absentee ballot. If you are registering you will need to provide proof of age (Driver’s license/Picture ID with date of birth) citizenship (if not U.S. born) and domicile. If you are only picking up an absentee ballot, an ID will do.
For your proof of domicile, KSC provides a list of students who reside on campus to the Keene City Clerk’s Office. They also have a list of some students who are living off campus. Both of these lists are acceptable “proof of domicile.” For all others, a utility bill, bank statement, lease, or mortgage with your name and the current address will do.
If you cannot produce the documents listed, you can sign a “Qualified Voter Affidavit” and you CAN still register and vote.
- In the Student Center Atrium Conference Room, you will then pick up your absentee ballot from the City Clerk’s staff, vote, and return to the City Clerk’s staff for placement in the absentee ballot box before you leave the room.
- OPTION II: If you have already registered in a different city in New Hampshire or a different state, you can request an absentee ballot from that municipality. Here is a link for information about requesting absentee ballots from outside of Keene. https://www.vote411.org/search-by-topic?tid_1%5B%5D=14
- OPTION III: You can still register and vote on the day of the election (Nov. 3, 2020). KSC will be providing rides to the polls. However, you will be required to get tested and provide proof of a negative result prior to getting on the van/bus.
If you have questions about registering to vote, please check out City of Keene and the NH Secretary of State’s Office. If you would like to talk to someone at Keene State, please contact Mark Gempler (mgempler@keene.edu) or Kim Schmidl-Gagne (kgagne@keene.edu).
Volunteers Needed!
On Monday of this week, President Treadwell sent out information about registering and absentee voting for residents of Keene and the KSC community. We know that there will be less volunteers at the polling stations and potentially much longer lines and waiting times. So we are encouraging as many people as possible to vote absentee for the health and safety of our KSC and Keene community.
Volunteers are needed to assist with KSC Registration and Absentee Voter Assemblies on 9/30, 10/1, 10/7 & 10/8 form 10am-4pm in the Student Center Atrium Conference Room. Keene State staff, faculty and students with negative Covid tests results are needed to help the City Clerk’s Office in assisting our KSC community members in completing their registration and/or getting and collecting their absentee ballots. Face covering and distancing will be strictly enforced for all volunteers and voters. PPE can be requested through the normal KSC process
Please click here to sign up for a shift(s): https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080E48AEA622A5FF2-2020
Any questions, please contact Mark Gempler (mgempler@keene.edu) or Kim Schmidl-Gagne (kgagne@keene.edu).
Sponsored by: KSC-ADP, #KSCVotes and the Keene City Clerk’s Office
*** CLICK HERE TO VOLUNTEER ***
Tabling Opportunities
The KSC American Democracy Project and KSCVotes invites you your organization to participate in a voter information fair on the campus of Keene State to coincide with the Voter Registration and Absentee Ballot Assemblies sponsored by the Keene City Clerk’s Office. The information about the fair is as follows:
- Voter Information Fairs on 10/1, 10/7, 10/8, 10am-4pm, Student Center Lawn
- Rain or shine only on the Lawn
- Dates and times coincide with the Voter Registration and Absentee Ballot Assemblies occurring in the Student Center
- Participating organizations can only have one person behind the table and they must stay behind the table. Tables will be doubled up to provide 6’ barrier.
- Organization representatives must fill out a Visitor Screening Form for each day they are on-campus (see link) https://www.keene.edu/featured/fall2020/assets/documents/visitor-health-screening/download/
If your organization is interested in having a table or if you have any questions, please contact me (mgempler@keene.edu) by Monday, September 28. Email is best.