Civic Participation
Through the legacy of Jane Addams and as a civic engagement center, the Jane Addams Center provides students with opportunities to develop skills to become effective leaders and active citizens.
This page is part of that effort and provides information for both our students from Illinois and from out of state. Our aim here is to help students become more knowledgeable about the process of voting: how to register, how to best be informed on candidates and policies, and where to vote. This page also includes information about how members of our campus community can be part of the democratic process by becoming an election judge.
Learn About The Issues
Gaining a deeper understanding of the issues that face our society is an important part of being an engaged and thoughtful citizen. Before you vote, it’s important to be up-to-date on current social issues that are happening nationwide, as they often come up when you’re researching candidates or policies on the ballet. To get the best understanding, look for balanced news sources and check their reliability.
Take advantage of the programming and activities on our campus that are intended to foster open communications and dialogue, and that encourage students to decide what they value and to speak up and promote causes that are important to them.
Resource pages on the Jane Addams Center website can help you get started: Anti-Racism Resources, LGBTQ+ Resources, and Land Acknowledgements Resources. Each of these pages are hyperlinked here, but you can also find them on our main page by looking at the tabs under Explore JACCE.
Volunteer
A way to learn about social issues impacting our local community is through volunteering. When you volunteer, you can better see where there is need for change and better understand the stances of political candidates and policies on the ballot.
Making connections in your community and going beyond your comfort zone to serve groups of people you don’t typically interact with is also one of the best ways to learn about the issues that people face in our communities. As Jane Addams said, in a democratic society based on the value of all human beings, we should “all turn out for one another” in our work for the common good.
Vote
Who can vote?
You must be a United States Citizen.
You must be 17 years old on or before the date of the Primary Election and turn 18 on or before the date of the General or Consolidated Election.
You must live in your election precinct at least 30 days prior to Election Day.
You may not claim the right to vote anywhere else.
You must have a valid driver’s license or state ID to register online.
To check your eligibility to vote in your state, take a look at the Vote.org – Voter Registration Rules webpage for state by state regulations.
How can I register to vote?
If you are an Illinois resident, you can register in a variety of different ways.
- You can go to the Office of Election Authority or a driver’s license facility (DMVs), or at a voter registration event with a deputy registrar.
- You can register through mail using the Illinois Voter Registration Application, available in English and Spanish.
- You can also register online using the official State Board of Elections website
If you want to check your registration in Illinois, you can go to the State Board of Elections registration lookup page.
If you are a resident of a state other than Illinois, you can register by using your state’s official website, which can be found through Campus Vote. Another way is through TurboVote where you can directly input your information to find your state.
If you want to check your registration, go to the National Association of Secretaries of State, which will lead you to the webpage you’ll need to check.
Where can I vote?
If you are a resident of Illinois, follow this link to the State Board of Elections for information about your polling place and district.
If you are from out of state, most likely you will be voting via the mail. While many states allow any voter to use mail-in voting, some have strict rules on who and who can’t vote by mail. In order to learn about your state’s rules, follow this link to TurboVote.
Because you’ll be receiving your ballot via mail if you’re able to use mail-in voting, be aware that if you live on campus, you’ll need to provide your Rockford University address on the form you fill out. You’ll need to include your dorm building and your room number, and your ballot will arrive at the Rockford University mailroom.
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How can I learn about the candidates running for office and receive a sample ballot?
Illinois residents can learn more about the candidates by going to the official Illinois Voters’ Guide.
If you’re from out of state, you can learn about candidates through websites like Vote411 or BallotReady, which give you nonpartisan information on candidates.
Be a Part of the Democratic Process
Another way to civically participate in the voting process is to become an election judge, working at the polls on election day. Election judges are a fundamental part of ensuring that we have free and secure elections in the United States.
As an introduction, to the left, you’ll find a video created by the Jane Addams Center with a grant received through Help America Vote College Program in 2024. Our aim is to educate our students about what it means to be an election judge and encourage them to become life-long advocates and engaged citizens. Help us get the word out by watching our video and sharing!
If this video inspires you to become an election judge, take a look at the Election Assistance Commission webpage. The page will give you the contact information that you will need to become an election judge for voters in your local community.
We encourage you to Help America Vote!
