A Student’s Guide to Midterm Elections

Written by Patrick Tseng Wu. Graphic by Avery Melhado.

Note: Some of the information used for this piece were sourced from a SCAD parent’s website, Guide to the Hive. While much helpful information is available here, readers should be wary that the creator is not associated with SCAD District. We have no way to gauge any biases and conflicts of interest.

Savannah – The 2026 midterm elections are taking place this November. SCAD students who are registered to vote by the deadline will be able to vote by mail, remotely, or go to their designated polling stations in person.

If students are confused about how to get registered or where to go to take part in the election, NASS – The National Association of Secretaries of State – has a website page dedicated to quickly guiding voters to the ballots. Go to their “can-I-vote” page and select your relevant category. This will bring you to a page with a drop-down menu listing all states. Select the one you’re voting in, whether that be Georgia or your home state/territory.

(Note that if you are registered to vote in Puerto Rico or another US territory, you should select “Overseas Voters.”)

Once you’ve made your selection, NASS will direct you to the corresponding state website. Follow the instructions on your state’s website to get registered and order a mail-in ballot.

If you’re registered and voting for a race outside of Georgia, then mail-in ballots are your best bet. Remember, deadlines for mail-in ballots will differ from state to state. It will take time for your ballot to both get mailed out to you and mailed back. Get registered and submit your vote as soon as possible to make sure it gets counted.

Voting In the State of Georgia

Any and all participation required in the state of Georgia require the following:

US citizen & legal resident at least 17 and a half years old.
Not found mentally incompetent by a judge.

For most students, our schedules are stuffed as they are, which makes mail-in voting the suggested choice for participating. Be warned, however. Absentee ballots in the state of Georgia must be requested by Oct. 5 to receive their ballot in the mail. For the sake of making sure your vote makes it in, it’s better to mail in your completed ballot early: this will ensure your ballot is submitted to county election offices to be counted by Nov. 3, 7pm.

If you have the time, you can also vote early. There are a handful of locations where you can vote, found at the Chatham County Board of Registrars website. Be aware, however, that none of these polling places are close to the SCAD campus site, let alone any bus routes. (Please note that despite what it says on the website, the Civic Center is NOT open for early voting, as it was slated for demolition back in September.)

If you plan to vote early, the majority of the polling sites are open 9am to 5pm, and are located around upwards of 20 minutes away by driving at minimum. Carpooling with friends is strongly suggested.

Finally, students who wish to vote in-person on Nov. 3 must be registered by Oct. 5. It is imperative that you are registered on the Georgia Secretary of State website to find out where your designated polling place is located. The lower left corner of your “My Information” page upon logging in will have a box called “Personal Information,” containing information detailing your registration status, listed address, and a precinct card link in the lower left. (You may print out this card or save it to your device as a reminder of your voter information and where you need to be to vote.) Beneath is a “Polling Information” box that will list the address and open hours of your designated polling place.

You will also need some form of valid government identification-issued photo ID to vote in-person. Your US passport, state ID card, or Georgia driver’s license – even an expired one – will work. Note that your SCAD ID card does not count as a “Student ID from a Georgia Public College, University, or High School” described by the state’s definition of accepted IDs.

The Chatham Country voter’s FAQ has an extensive list of additional information not covered in this article. A SCAD parent has also put together a website, Guide to the Hive, with information for students on how to get registered and where to go for the election.

At the time of writing, (October 3,) there are exactly 31 days until the midterms. The House and Senate are up for contest: all 435 seats for the former, and 35 of the 100 total in the latter. There’s a lot at stake this November. Take your friends, contact your family, and go vote.

Special thanks to Lauren Shinn, who made Guide to the Hive as a public resource for all students to freely use.