It’s that time of year again! Time to load up the car and head back to campus, only this year you can add the task of registering to vote to your back-to-school to-do list.

You belong to one of the most powerful voting demographics in the United States. According to Campus Vote Project, “young adults (ages 18-29) made up about 21% of the voting eligible population in 2014, but voter turnout for this demographic has reached record lows in recent years.”

Voting is a critical form of political participation. If it weren’t, fascists wouldn’t spend billions on gerrymandering and suppression.

— Greg Carr (@AfricanaCarr) July 26, 2016

Make no mistake, your vote matters. And come November, there will be a new president-elect of the United States. However you feel about the candidates and their politics, one of them will lead the executive branch of the federal government and the Armed Forces of the United States. Think about that…

donald trump eye roll come on bitch please who cares — Photo: giphy.com

As a college student, you have a couple of options when it comes to voting. You can cast your ballot in person or, if you’re registered in another locality and will be absent from your polling place on Election Day, you can cast your vote (in most cases) by mail as an absentee ballot. Deadlines are quickly approaching for absentee ballot requests, and the process can vary from state to state. Now’s the time to figure out what you need to do.

If you’re planning on voting by absentee ballot, check out the deadlines and requirements for your state now.

Never miss a headline. Sign up for Blavity’s daily newsletter.

presidential-elect

Get relevant content delivered to you once a week