Register to Vote Before Oct. 7!

10/01/2020

Dear members of the SLU Community,

Are you registered to vote?

The deadline in Missouri to register for the November election is Wednesday, Oct. 7. Be on the lookout for registration tables on campus from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 6, thanks to team members from SLU’s Center for Service and Community Engagement. Everyone is welcome.

Students who live on campus can register using their SLU address (20 N. Grand Blvd., MSC#, St. Louis, MO 63103). On Tuesday, Nov. 3, those on-campus students can then vote in the Simon Recreation Center.

Additionally, there are notaries on campus who will notarize absentee and mail-in ballots. If you have questions or need to have your ballot notarized, contact Dr. Leah Sweetman by emailing leah.sweetman@slu.edu.

Most states also have online registration, including Missouri and Illinois. The nonpartisan websites www.vote.org or www.vote411.org will help you to register, check your registration status, check your polling location or request an absentee ballot.

Many of these tools are also helpful for staff, faculty and students who live off campus. As a reminder to SLU employees and supervisors, our University Voting Leave Policy provides employees paid time off in order to vote.

SLU has a long history and rich tradition of civic engagement. Our University mission and Jesuit identity compel all of us to recognize that “we are part of something greater.” Our contributions to the common good can and do take many forms, but one of the most basic is voting.

Voting is both a right and a responsibility. As colleges and universities across the country work to tackle some of society’s most pressing challenges, including those presented by voting during a pandemic, we must recognize the need to inform our consciences, engage in dialogue, and participate in the democratic process.

Don’t miss the opportunity to let your voice be heard. Register now and be sure to head to the polls on Nov. 3.

Be well,

Fred P. Pestello, Ph.D.

President