Madlyn L. Hanes Library held a voting workshop via Zoom on October 11 for first-year seminar credit a Thes well as for anyone interested in attending. The main idea behind the workshop was to inform new and current students about the midterm elections in Pennsylvania coming up in November. Several important deadlines were discussed, and resources to assist students in making informed decisions as to who to vote for were also a central point of this event.  Several changes to policies and deadlines also were put in place following the previous election for president, so students were informed of these changes as well. The two most notable elections this November are the races for U.S. Senate to replace incumbent Senator Pat Toomey and Pennsylvania Governor to replace incumbent Governor Tom Wolf. 

Emily Reed, liaison librarian for the School of Public Affairs at Penn State Harrisburg, was the presenter for the event. Reed walked students through several resources to encourage voting and inform students of the different candidates. Toward the end of the lecture, Reed gave a short historical account of how voting rights have evolved in the United States and explained the rights voters have when voting in person. The event concluded with information and resources available if anyone feels their voting rights have been infringed.

“During this workshop, participants learned about the impacts of voting, completed a Voter Check-Up Worksheet, and learned how to locate reliable information about candidates and political issues,” explained Reed. “The workshop led participants through how to check voter registration status and the three methods of voting (at a polling place, mail-in ballots, and absentee ballots).”

If anyone’s planning to vote in the upcoming midterm elections, there are a few key dates to be aware of. October 24 is the last day to register to vote in Pennsylvania. The last day to apply for mail-in or absentee ballots is November 1. Election Day falls on November 8, and polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Also, on November 8, the county election office must receive completed mail-in and absentee ballots by 8 p.m.

For further information regarding the midterm elections, the PSH community can visit the “Finding Information on the 2022 Midterm Election and Candidates” guide at  https://guides.libraries.psu.edu/HBGvote2022midterm. Also, students can view the recording of the voter workshop at https://guides.libraries.psu.edu/HBGvote2022midterm/workshop.