You’re the Voter!
“You’re the Voter” is a voter mobilization project, a research study, and an experiential learning opportunity for the Schar School’s first-yearLearning Community, known as “Democracy Lab.” The “You’re the Voter” project aims to inform the Mason community that not only is 2023 an important election, but many Mason students can exercise their voting rights on campus because they reside in Fairfax County, or they can vote locally at their home precinct.
Link to Virginia voter registration portal
Individual students have the opportunity to consent to participate (or not) only when their undergraduate course instructor enrolls their class in “You’re the Voter.”
Project Stages:
Stage 1: Registration (September 7 – September 30)
Faculty are invited to register their class in the study by completing this form. Any GMU Faculty teaching an undergraduate course this semester is invited to register their class.
Stage 2: Student Consent (October 5 – November 6)
Students in registered undergraduate courses will receive an email inviting them to consent to participate in the study. (See FAQs below for more information about the consent process).
Stage 3: Interventions (October 1 – November 6)
Students may receive additional communications about voting and elections in Virginia this fall. Students’ classes may receive a visit from a “You’re the Voter” team of students who will provide information about elections and encourage civic participation.
Stage 4: Election Day (September 22 – November 7)
Students can vote at Merten Hall on Election Day (November 7), by mail, or early in-person starting on September 22.
Stage 5: Analysis: (November 8 – December 15)
The study team will analyze data collected during the project.
Voting Information
You are eligible to vote if:
- U.S. Citizen
- Will be 18 years of age on or before November 7th, 2023
- Currently a resident in the Commonwealth of Virginia (all students living on-campus are Fairfax County residents!)
If you are an in-state student living on campus, you have a couple of options for voting in the upcoming elections this November. As an on-campus resident at George Mason, you are eligible to vote in Fairfax, for Fairfax-precinct offices. However, you are also eligible to vote in your hometown precincts by default.
It is solely your choice on where you decide to vote. You may only vote in one precinct in the Commonwealth.
The deadline to register to vote for the 2023 Election is October 16, 2023.
Please identify which steps apply to you below.
For students with a VIRGINIA driver’s license:
- Visit www.elections.virginia.gov/Voterinformation
- If you have never voted before, select “register to vote”.
- If you have voted before in Virginia, or are already registered in your hometown, select “check registration status” to confirm you are registered to vote for this upcoming election.
- To modify the address displayed on your registration, select “I want to update my voter registration” and follow Step 2 to modify your initial (hometown) residential address to your new address.
- From here, you will need to fill in personal identifiable information, including:
- Date of birth
- Driver’s license number
- Social security number
- Residential Address – Please note that the address where you receive packages is not your residential address and cannot be used for voting. For students living on campus, you must use your DORM ADDRESS as your residential address (see the table below) AND check the box to indicate that you receive mail at an address other than your dorm address. Your MAILING ADDRESS is where you receive packages (4450 Rivanna River Way, #xxxx, Fairfax, VA 22030).
For students without a VIRGINIA driver’s license:
In order to register to vote online, you must currently have a Virginia I.D. or driver’s license. However, if you do not have a Virginia I.D. or driver’s license, you may register to vote by mailing a paper application. To register by mail, please see a Student Volunteer for a paper application, and we will assist you or you can print it here.
- Please ensure you register to vote using your Mason Dorm Dwelling Address. You may find the address that corresponds with your building in the table below.
Residence Halls and Corresponding Addresses:
You must also include your dorm number in your street address.
- Example: A student lives in dorm 1234 in Adams Hall
- Their address would be: 10456 Presidents Park Drive, Unit 1234, Fairfax, Virginia 22030
-
Building Name Building Street Address City, State, Zip Adams Hall 10456 Presidents Park Drive Fairfax, Virginia 22030 Amherst Hall 10412 Rivanna River Way Fairfax, Virginia 22030 Brunswick Hall 10412 Rivanna River Way Fairfax, Virginia 22030 Carroll Hall 10422 Rivanna River Way Fairfax, Virginia 22030 Commonwealth Hall 10408 Rivanna River Way Fairfax, Virginia 22030 Dickenson Hall 10422 Rivanna River Way Fairfax, Virginia 22030 Dominion Hall 10410 Rivanna River Way Fairfax, Virginia 22030 Essex Hall 10422 Rivanna River Way Fairfax, Virginia 22030 Franklin Hall 10416 Rivanna River Way Fairfax, Virginia 22030 Grayson Hall 10416 Rivanna River Way Fairfax, Virginia 22030 Harrison Hall 10459 Presidents Park Drive Fairfax, Virginia 22030 Jackson Hall 10453 Presidents Park Drive Fairfax, Virginia 22030 Jefferson Hall 10460 Presidents Park Drive Fairfax, Virginia 22030 Kennedy Hall 10455 Presidents Park Drive Fairfax, Virginia 22030 Lincoln Hall 10450 Presidents Park Drive Fairfax, Virginia 22030 Madison Hall 10458 Presidents Park Drive Fairfax, Virginia 22030 Monroe Hall 10460 Presidents Park Drive Fairfax, Virginia 22030 Roosevelt Hall 10449 Presidents Park Drive Fairfax, Virginia 22030 Taylor Hall 10444 Presidents Park Drive Fairfax, Virginia 22030 Truman Hall 10457 Presidents Park Drive Fairfax, Virginia 22030 Washington Hall 10458 Presidents Park Drive Fairfax, Virginia 22030 Wilson Hall 10459 Presidents Park Drive Fairfax, Virginia 22030 Angel Cabrera Global Center 4352 Mason Pond Drive Fairfax, Virginia 22030 Blue Ridge Hall 4343A Chesapeake River Way Fairfax, Virginia 22030 Eastern Shore Hall 4403 Patriot Circle Fairfax, Virginia 22030 Hampton Roads Hall 4401 Patriot Circle Fairfax, Virginia 22030 Liberty Square 10440 Presidents Park Drive Fairfax, Virginia 22030 Northern Neck Hall 4335 Chesapeake River Way Fairfax, Virginia 22030 Piedmont Hall 4349A Chesapeake River Way Fairfax, Virginia 22030 Potomac Heights 10350 York River Road Fairfax, Virginia 22030 Rogers Hall 4400 Aquia Creek Lane Fairfax, Virginia 22030 Sandbridge Hall 4343B Chesapeake River Way Fairfax, Virginia 22030 Tidewater Hall 4349B Chesapeake River Way Fairfax, Virginia 22030 University Townhouse A 4262 Chain Bridge Rd Fairfax, Virginia 22030 University Townhouse B 4264 Chain Bridge Rd Fairfax, Virginia 22030 University Townhouse C 4266 Chain Bridge Rd Fairfax, Virginia 22030 University Townhouses 4260 Chain Bridge Rd Fairfax, Virginia 22030 Whitetop Hall 4402 Aquia Creek Lane Fairfax, Virginia 22030
Ensure your by-mail application is postmarked by the application deadline, October 16th. You may mail your application from The Hub Student Center, located behind Southside Dining Hall.
Who’s on my ballot?
If you’re registered to vote on-campus, you can vote for 10 different elected offices and Fairfax County’s school bonds referendum. Please note that only candidates for the General Assembly (State Senate and House of Delegates) will have party affiliation next to their name on the ballot.
You can view the sample ballot for GMU’s Fairfax Campus here.
If you’re registered to vote off campus, we encourage you to go to vote411.org to learn more about the candidates on your ballot.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
Is this project compliant with FERPA?
Yes. Faculty do not provide our study team with any private or personal student information.
Is the project approved by the Institutional Review Board?
Yes. Our project has IRB approval (#2074430, irb@gmu.edu) and faculty are welcome to contact the local IRB to inquire about the rigorous human subjects’ ethics and protection process this project has already gone through.
Has University leadership sanctioned this project?
Yes. This project is supported by the Provost’s Office of Community Engagement and Civic Learning (CECiL) and faculty are welcome to contact Director Kristen Wright (kwrigh22@gmu.edu) to confirm Provost’s office support.
What is this about?
This research is being conducted to investigate the voting behavior of George Mason University’s undergraduate student population. You have been selected to take part in the study by your course instructor. Your class may receive information about voting registration and casting a ballot. Your personal identifying information (name, address, gender, and birthdate) will be used to determine whether you voted in the 2023 election using public records, and for no other purpose.
Are there any risks?
There are no foreseeable risks for participating in this research.
What are the benefits of participating?
There are no benefits to you as a participant other than to further research in youth voting behavior.
Your decision to participate or not participate in this study will not impact your standing or grade in your class. You will still be expected to complete your usual class assignments regardless of your decision to participate or not participate in this study.
Will my information and data be kept confidential?
The data in this study will be confidential. Identifying information will only be collected for the purpose of matching names to the voter file after the 2023 election. All identifying information will be removed from the final data analysis to ensure the confidentiality of all participants.
The de-identified data could be used for future research without additional consent from participants.
While it is understood that no computer transmission can be perfectly secure, reasonable efforts will be made to protect the confidentiality of your transmission.
The Institutional Review Board (IRB) committee that monitors research on human subjects may inspect study records during internal auditing procedures and are required to keep all information confidential.
My instructor talked about this. Do I have to do it?
Your participation is voluntary, and you may withdraw from the study at any time and for any reason. If you decide not to participate or if you withdraw from the study, there is no penalty or loss of benefits to which you are otherwise entitled. There are no costs to you or any other party.
Who do I talk to if I have questions or concerns?
This research is being conducted by Jennifer Victor, PhD, Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University. She may be reached at 703-993-3202 or jvictor3@gmu.edu for questions or to report a research-related problem. You may contact the George Mason University Institutional Review Board office at 703-993-4121 or IRB@gmu.edu if you have questions or comments regarding your rights as a participant in the research.
This research has been reviewed according to George Mason University procedures governing your participation in this research.
Links
Vote411.org – general information about registering and voting
Information about becoming an election officer in Fairfax City
Information about becoming an election officer in Fairfax County
Information about registering to vote in Virginia
Information about applying for an absentee ballot in Virginia
Check your voter registration in Virginia
Information about becoming an election officer anywhere in Virginia
Work Elections – Information about becoming an election officer anywhere
Authorizations
The Principal Investigator for this study is Dr. Jennifer N. Victor of the Schar School of Policy and Government. The Graduate Research Assistant is Tim Bynion. The study is supported by the Provost’s Office, the League of Women Voters of Fairfax County, and the Student Voting Research Network. The study is compliant with FERPA and approved by the IRB (#2074430). Please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns. We look forward to working with you in the upcoming semester to advance our understanding of college students’ voting behavior.
STATEMENT OF NON-PARTISANSHIP: This is a non-partisan activity centered around the promotion of elections and voting. “You’re the Voter” aims to increase voter turnout, assist voters in the voting process, and assist election administrators in running elections. “You’re the voter” does not support any party or candidate and will take no actions to advocate for any party or candidate.