A Guide to Voting in Shelby County
While voting is constantly encouraged, sometimes actually getting out and voting can seem a little more daunting and confusing than it should. If you’re looking for some clarification on voting in Shelby County, this guide is for you. Simply set aside 30 minutes to read through this article and do some quick research—and you will be prepared to vote!
1. Register to vote.
If you aren’t registered to vote, this is a definite first step. Keep in mind that you need to register 30 days before an election. If this is your first time registering to vote, it’s very simple. To register online, you can fill out a quick application here. To learn more about how to register to vote, visit the Shelby County Election Commission.
2. Know your district.
If you don’t already know your district, this is another easy step. At Go Vote TN, you can click on “Districts”. From there, you type in your address and can quickly see all your districts.
3. Know who’s currently elected.
So you know your district. What if you want to see who was last elected in your district? After entering your address on Go Vote TN, you will also have an option to look at “Elected Officials”.
4. Know candidate options.
You can find a list of certified candidates at Shelby Vote, along with a sample ballot. As voting day gets closer, Go Vote TN will also show a “Candidate List”, which is a little more concise than the entire list shown on Shelby Vote’s website.
5. Choose where your vote will go.
This one is up to you. If you’re looking for suggestions, Future901 endorses quality progressive candidates that have a good chance of winning their race. Check our blog to see what candidates we’re supporting.
6. Make a plan.
Take a look at your calendar and pencil in a date and time when you'll vote. For a list of voting dates, check out our article on the 2018 election cycle. If you know you'll need childcare, go ahead and plan for that now. Make sure you know how you'll get to your voting location. If you need to request time off work to vote, make sure you do this by noon the day before, if not earlier. While scheduling out when you will vote can seem unnecessary, it is a crucial step to ensuring you will actually get out and vote. So go set those calendar reminders!
7. Get out and vote!
If you've made a plan ahead of time to vote, getting out and voting should be conflict free. Just remember to bring your ID (you don’t need to bring your voting card, but you do need your photo ID).
8. Remind others to vote.
Don’t leave your fellow citizens behind. Share this article and make sure your friends, family, coworkers, and whoever else you interact with, knows how to vote and the importance of their vote. Post to social media when you vote—and remember to tag us @Future901.
Written by Rebekah Veldhuizen