General Election: Nov 3, 2020
Last day to register to vote: Oct 19, 2020
Last day to request an absentee ballot: Oct 27, 2020
For information specific to Allegheny County, visit the Allegheny County Board of Elections. Here you can find information on polling places should you wish to cast your ballot in person for the 2020 election. Information is also available on how to become a poll worker and be part of the election process.
In this presidential election season, eligible student voters and those educating themselves about the election process are encouraged to consult the nonpartisan website Pittvotes.turbovote.org. This site ensures Pitt students and other members of the community always know when elections are happening and have the information they need to vote with confidence. The site also provides election reminders, voter registration, applications for absentee ballots, and more. Please consult Pittvotes.turbovote.org and seek out assistance from your instructors and peers as you work to learn about and exercise your critically important right to vote.
If you are a member of a Pitt student organization and would like to invite candidates to campus or participate in the process, please visit the Q&A for Registered Student Organizations on Political Campaign Activity site for information and Pitt policies.
Pitt members of the national Faculty Network for Student Voting Rights urge you to take part in the University’s “Year of Engagement” in 2020-21 by helping with ongoing efforts to engage, educate, and encourage eligible student voters to take part in our democratic process. As one of the country’s top academic institutions for research and innovation, the University of Pittsburgh is committed to civic responsibility and working University-wide to educate our campus community about the importance of voting. The Faculty Network for Student Voting Rights seeks to alert us all to campus resources that can help students navigate the voter process.
They ask you to join them in taking concrete steps to ensure students know about and are able to exercise their voting rights.
Invite representatives from PittVotes to speak with your classes about voting. To make arrangements for a classroom visit, please contact Chaz Kellem, Director, Office of PittServes, crk80@pitt.edu.
Incorporate voting into the educational framework of your courses and programs going forward, by drawing student attention to the Pittvotes.turbovote.org site on your syllabi, having PittVotes representatives visit your classes, and arranging for speakers and events that highlight the importance of informed voting for our campus, our country, and our role in the world.
Impact of COVID-19 on Voting
The COVID-19 pandemic has reignited issues surrounding access to voting. States are revising their mail-in ballot options and making adjustments to how those ballots can be officially filed. For instance, voters wishing to cast an absentee ballot in Alabama, Alaska, Virginia, or Wisconsin are reqiuire witness signatures before ballots can be submitted. Still, 16 states require an excuse in order to cast an absentee ballot. Excuses that could be used include being out of town, age, disability, or illness.In other instances, many states postponed their primary elections and others, including Allegheny County where Pittsburgh is located, also consolidated polling places. According to the American Bar Association, 18 states and Puerto Rico postponed their 2020 spring primary elections.
Immigrants and the 2020 Election
According to Pew Research, an estimated 23 million immigrants are eligible to vote in the 2020 presidential election
