Voting in U.S. Elections: an Electoral Action & Civic Participation Guide
Student support for navigating the electoral process in one convenient place
UConn Library’s Voting in U.S. Elections student guide is a reference tool to navigate the electoral process and become a more informed and engaged civic participant. Whether you are a first-time voter, living on, off, or at a regional campus, or registered in your home state, the guide will walk you through the process of registering, the ways you can vote, and finding a sample ballot.
Beyond procedural questions, the guide also offers instruction around developing ballot research questions, evaluating information sources, and deepening your civic engagement beyond elections.
Interactive tools throughout the guide help you move from questions to action in an iterative civic research process: build a ballot question, investigate political claims using the SIFT method, and explore different forms of civic participation based on your interests and goals. The guide also includes election-related mental health and well-being resources for navigating election-related stress, information overload, or uncertainty.
The guide is strictly an informational resource to make informed judgments; it does not tell you what to think or even which sources are “good” or “trustworthy.” Instead, it invites you to consider how different sources suit different needs and how your own interpretations and personal values shape electoral decisions.
For more information, contact: Ery Caswell at ery.caswell@uconn.edu