Many students will have the option to vote this year with absentee ballots, in which they can vote in another area’s election if the student is registered outside Wake County.

Cherie Poucher, director of Wake County’s Board of Elections, said absentee voting can be convenient, but voters need to make sure to keep their address and other information up to date.

“It’s up to the individual,” Poucher, “If they are registered where their parents live and that’s what they would like to keep for voting purposes, they should request an absentee ballot.”

Registered North Carolina voters can cast an absentee ballot for any reason as long as a request is submitted by mail by Oct. 28, according to the Board of Election’s Web site.

In addition, numerous One-Stop voting sites will be located throughout the county where people can register and vote simultaneously, but Poucher said registering in advance will make the process much faster.

Lauren LaMontagne, a junior in English, said she thinks voting absentee is much more convenient and would rather vote before election day.

“I don’t know about you, but my Tuesdays are bad,” LaMontagne said, who added that she would also be worried about changing her permanent address from her parent’s Charlotte residence.

Ches McDowell, a freshman in political science and organizer with campus group Pack the Polls, said he thinks voting absentee is “a stupid idea.”

“The probability that someone is actually going to do an absentee ballot is quite slim,” McDowell said, adding that the process of applying for the absentee ballot is “incredibly complicated.”

“It’s a lot easier, a lot simpler and a lot smarter to vote on Election Day,” he said.

While some may prefer to participate in the elections in their hometown, McDowell said that “the people in Wake County are the people that make decisions that are directly going to affect you.”

Jason Kubota, a junior in history, said he voted absentee in 2004 because he was still registered with his parents address, but he preferred voting at the polls.

“It’s just not as exciting,” Kubota said.

After voting on Election Day two years later he decided he preferred the energy at his local polling place.

Poucher said if students want more information about Wake County elections, they can go to wakevotesearly.com.