VOTE – St. Olaf College

Engage in the Democratic Process

Every Ole has a place in the democratic process. Identify your cause, start a dialogue, and share your voice.

"Voting is the cornerstone of democracy, empowering individuals to shape the future, hold leaders accountable, and drive social change. It's not just a right, but a responsibility—a powerful tool for preserving democracy and building a better society."
Your Election Engagment Team

girl filling out form — Learn about the different ways to participate in elections, on campus or at home, and how to stay civically engaged all year long.

Voting using your St. Olaf address? You are strongly encouraged to pre-register online before October 13. But no worries if you miss that deadline—-Minnesota offers same-day registration. Just bring with you a photo ID, such as your St. Olaf student ID, to your polling place! If you live on campus, that’s the Pause in Buntrock Commons, and if you live off-campus in Northfield, visit poll finder to find out where you’ll vote.

Not voting in MN? You can register in any state using our Register to Vote link. You can also visit vote.gov for more information about how to register in your home state!

Questions? Check out our handy Voter Registration Guide!

Voter Registration Guide

Did you know you can choose to vote from St. Olaf or from your home residence? Take 5 minutes to fill out this Pledge to Vote form for the November general election. It will guide you through making your plan to vote, including where, how, and actually registering to vote!

Pledge to Vote

Voting by mail is an option, even if you’re voting from campus! Check out our vote by mail page to learn more.

Vote by Mail

Voting early in person is a great way to avoid Election Day lines! In Northfield, people can vote early at Northfield City Hall starting September 18.

Visit your home state’s Secretary of State’s website to learn how you can vote early if you live outside of MN. This often entails traveling home to vote and is a great option if you live close by!

To vote in-person on Election Day, if you live on campus, head to the Pause between 7 am and 8 pm on November 3rd. If you live off campus, visit poll finder to find out where you’ll vote. If you didn’t pre-register to vote, don’t worry–you can same day resister at your polling place with a photo ID, such as your St. Olaf student ID

Ready for Election Day?

Encourage others to exercise their civic rights! Join our peer-to-peer networking initiative by becoming an Election Ambassador today. Get trained on how to share nonpartisan information about voting and the elections with your peers and walk through completing the Pledge to Vote form.

Learn more about candidates who will appear on the ballot if you are voting using your St. Olaf on-campus address.

Voting elsewhere in MN or in another state? Visit Balletopedia or Vote411.org to enter your address and see who will appear on your ballot.

Learn more about candidates

Voting isn’t the only way to participate in our democracy! There are a multitude of ways to get involved, including registering others to vote, learning about important issues, volunteering for political campaigns, and more. Not a U.S. citizen? You have options to learn more about U.S. democracy, too!

Learn How to Get Involved

St. Olaf is proud to have student leaders at the forefront of developing our strategies for voter engagement with their peers as well as a cross-campus group of faculty, staff, and students working to integrate democratic engagement into the student experience.

Read the 2026 plan!