If you have questions about voting by mail, check out our mail voting information page.
Upcoming 2026 State Primary Elections:
March:
- Arkansas: March 3, 2026
- North Carolina: March 3, 2026
- Texas: March 3, 2026
- Mississippi: March 10, 2026
- Illinois: March 17, 2026
May:
- Indiana: May 5, 2026
- Ohio: May 5, 2026
- West Virginia: May 12, 2026
- Nebraska: May 12, 2026
- Louisiana: May 16, 2026
- Oregon: May 19, 2026
- Pennsylvania: May 19, 2026
- Kentucky: May 19, 2026
- Idaho: May 19, 2026
- Georgia: May 19, 2026
- Alabama: May 19, 2026
For additional information on voting requirements & instructions for each state visit this link
Did you know that every ballot in the United States is printed at the county level? So your choices and decisions may be different from others who live in different states, cities, or even neighborhoods. Thankfully, the internet makes getting reliable information easy, if you know where to look.
In California, you will receive a ballot guide by mail from the state.
Your own county's registrar of voters SHOULD send you information about propositions and candidates will appear on your ballot. But not every county does this, so you should go to the website of the county elections official where you will be voting and look for information about what decisions you have to make.
Helpful websites
- Ballotpedia compiles voting records and public statements from public officials from around the country at many levels of government. It also has a local ballot tool to help you look up your own ballot choices.
- California voters can learn about statewide ballot propositions and candidates at Californiachoices.org.
- Project Vote Smart compiles voting records and public statements from public officials around the country. Once you know who is running for office in your community, this is a great resource to check out their records.
- The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan organization that compiles election specific information from around the country.
- Once you know who is representing you, check out their websites. Obviously they want to present themselves as positively as possible, but check out what they promise to do if elected!
The following three resources list nonpartisan sites that compare candidates’ issue positions.
Look at the candidates' own websites! They usually keep the promises they make!
Check our event calendar! In the lead up to Election Day, USD holds many opportunities for voters to get informed about what will appear on the ballot.
Other websites:
Attending events on campus gives you the chance to both learn and critically engage with information about politics.
Bonus: sometimes you can get extra credit, free food, or Compass/Connect/Passport points!
It's great to keep up with current events and national news every day. The most trustworthy information will come from factual and low-biased sources. The library holds helpful workshops on how to be news literate.
The Copley Library offers this great guide for anyone wanting to learn more about how to distinguish between spin and fake news and how to identify and avoid fabricated news stories.
Learn how to evaluate news sources, determine political bias versus fake news, understand how AI and misinformation is influencing the news, and more!
Because our winner-take-all electoral system creates a two-party system, it's useful to know the differences between the two parties.
Take this useful five minute quiz to see where your views fall