How to Register to Vote - The Deaf Way

Here’s the online way you can register to vote yourself – through Rock the Vote website. All you need to do is fill out the online form, print out and mail it.

http://www.rockthevote.com/

It’s so incredibly easy you won’t believe it! Spread the knowledge of this website by traditional deaf gossip – through emails, IM, word-of-mouth, VP, anything!

For in-person voter registration, you can go to your local DMV or MVA and register to vote there. If you choose to do this method, I highly recommend that you don’t go alone. Turn it into a great memory and bring along an unregistered voter who lives in the same area to register with you!

If you are working at a deaf school or mainstream school, talk with the people in authority at your school to increase awareness of the importance of voting. Register the students who are over 18 to vote. Talk to them, get them excited, and/or give rewards!

For those who are under 18 students, perhaps the teachers could have a field trip to the places where you register to vote. When these students turn 18, they will know where to go to register to vote. It could be just a fun field trip but you can take one extra step further by encouraging the students to tell their family members to register to vote.

Deaf/hard of hearing parents: instill in your children the values of voting. Voting is a behavior that is most often passed down through parental influence. Just imagine how strong of an influence you have over your children – you may have double, triple, or even more of an influence on the American government if all of your children ultimately become regular voters!

For Gallaudet University students: If you go to the library, the librarian will help you register to vote. They will provide all the appropriate papers and everything you need to become a registered voter at Gallaudet University! However, if you live out of Metro area - be sure to educate yourself on Absentee voting so your voice may be counted in November. (If CSUN and RIT has similar opportunities for registering to vote at their campuses, please let me know!) Here's the address from the Gallaudet website:


http://pr.gallaudet.edu/dailydigest/?id=13810

My Gallaudet University professor told us a story about her first time voting. She was just 18 and she went with her family to vote for the very first time. Afterwards, the family went to a restaurant. There, her father stood up in middle of the restaurant and announced to the whole restaurant that his daughter had just voted for the first time. And the whole restaurant clapped and cheered!

It’s a proud moment when you seize your right as an American citizen to vote. Have a party with all of your friends who just registered, too!