Let's Vote!

Dear Billiken Companions,

Election Day is fewer than 50 days away. Do you have a voting plan? 

As a Jesuit institution, our commitment to social justice requires all of our voices to be heard, especially at the polls. Elections create the landscape within which social change movements gain momentum, and student votes can determine the outcome in close elections. Regardless of your affiliations and ideological commitments, you can exercise one of the most sacred rights in a democracy this fall -- a right not everyone around the world has.

Below this email, I share key information about how to register to vote (if you aren’t yet), how to cast your vote here in St. Louis, and how to work the polls (if that’s of interest).

However you engage in election efforts this fall, please do so with care for our greater communities by continuing to honor the public health safeguards we’ve all committed to in the Campus Commitment.  

And please do so with care for the humanity in one another. 

Elections can be contentious. As a University community rooted in Jesuit values, we have an obligation to listen deeply to those whose views are different from ours and to seek understanding and connection across differences. We have an obligation to remain civil and respectful as we engage with ideas and perspectives that challenge us. As you engage with one another this fall, recommit yourself to these Ignatian principles for dialogue.  

Social change does not begin or end on Election Day. It lives in each of us, and in our commitments to be persons for and with others, on a daily basis, conversation by conversation.

Sincerely, 

Debra Rudder Lohe, Ph.D. (she/her/hers)
Interim Vice President for Student Development

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Registering to Vote

Websites like www.vote411.org and www.vote.org can help with voter registration, registration status, ballot access, and more. If you plan to vote in St. Louis, you can register to vote using your on-campus address (20 N. Grand Blvd., MSC #,  St. Louis, 63103). The deadline to register in Missouri is October 7.

Casting Your Vote in St. Louis City (if you’re registered here)

If you are registered to vote using your on-campus address, you are registered to vote in the City of St. Louis and can vote in a variety of ways: 

• In person at the Simon Recreation Center on November 3. 
• In person (through absentee voting) at these four St. Louis Public Libraries: the Central Library at 1301 Olive Street; the Schlafly Library at 225 North Euclid Avenue; the Julia Davis Library at 4415 Natural Bridge Avenue; and the Buder Library at 4401 Hampton Avenue. These four library locations will be open for absentee voting from October 12 through November 2 (11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and 1 to 7 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays). 
• In person (through absentee voting) at the Board of Election Commissioners, located at 300 North Tucker Blvd., beginning September 22, which will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and on the last two Saturdays before the election, October 24 and October 31, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

Working the Polls

Across the country, there is a call for college students to assist on Election Day. Traditionally, many poll workers are retirees and may not be able to assist due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  City of St. Louis residents may apply to become an Election Judge to check in and assist voters on election day. There are also opportunities for non-partisan poll workers to set up and maintain all the technical aspects of the polling place machines. This brochure provides information about poll work in the City of St. Louis.

For additional information, you also may visit: https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/board-election-commissioners/sign-up-to-work-the-polls.cfm.  

To become an Election Worker in St. Louis County, visit https://www.vote4stlco.com/pollaccess/.

Getting Assistance

The Center for Service and Community Engagement has a committed team of staff and students who are prepared to help you register, develop voting plans, find a notary, and answer questions about absentee voting and polling places. Contact Leah Sweetman at leah.sweetman@slu.edu for assistance.   

Staying Informed on Social Media

Follow this non-partisan Instagram account all about voting! Vote at SLU (@slu.vote) has registration help, ballot info, and absentee/mail in voting access, as well as candidate/policy information and giveaways! It's an easy way to stay informed!