Tuesday is the final day citizens can register to vote in the Nov. 8 election.

The Voter Registration Form must be postmarked or turned in to a designated location by 9 p.m. Tuesday.

Any U.S. citizen 18 years or older can register online or in person. Those who opt to register online must print and sign the form — found at bit.ly/TLQfR — and mail it to the Portage County Board of Elections.

“Anybody that wants to vote, we want them to vote, and we want it to be as easy as possible,” said Linda Marcial, director of Portage County Board of Elections.

There are three ways to vote: absentee, early voting or at the polls on Nov. 8.

Early voting and absentee voting opened last week.

Students registered at home can print, fill out and sign the Application for Absent Voter’s Ballot — found at bit.ly/buhgqr — and send it to the Board of Elections.

“You can still request that absentee application, and you’re still going to vote, but you’re going to vote on where you live,” Marcial said. “Your issues are from where you’re registered.”

Marcial said approximately 102,000 citizens are registered to vote in Portage County.

John Kuhar, Ward 4 council member, said he would encourage students to register and vote where they are most knowledgeable about the issues.

“If I were to give my advice and if a student was here to be in school, I would make sure that they were registered at home and have an absentee ballot in,” Kuhar said. “I think that’s the proper thing to do, and that’s something they should do as a responsible American.”

He said he estimates that there are “probably less than half a dozen” students who vote in Kent. If students plan on staying in Kent after they graduate, Kuhar said they should strongly consider voting here.

“Find out what’s going on,” he said. “Be a part of the community … When you live in Kent, whether it’s for a week or four years or for life, you’re considered — at least by me — as a Kent resident during that period of time, and you should have the responsibilities with your community.”

Marcial said this is the second election for which information is readily available online, which makes things easier for voters.

“… Everybody’s busy, and also everybody’s very computer literate, especially students, so the more you can put out there for them, I think it stands a better chance,” Marcial said. “Plus I think voters want to be well-informed before they vote.”

Information about local issues and constituents in individual precincts is available at http://www.co.portage.oh.us/election/index.html.

Contact Lydia Coutré [email protected].