There are only a few days left before the Oct. 5 deadline to register to vote in the midterm elections, and college students have a choice whether to cast their ballots here or back home.
Part of the calculation? Troy Goodale, a University of Tennessee at Knoxville political science professor, advises students to weigh where their votes will make the most difference.
"If you have the option of voting in a state where it looks like it's going to be a very close election and your vote can make a difference, it would probably be in your best interest to do so rather than switch it to Tennessee," Goodale told Knox News. "The Republican Party controls all the statewide offices and Republican nominees generally win by large margins."
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Here are some other factors to consider.
Making your vote count
Tennessee's legislature has a Republican supermajority. That isn't likely to change.
The leaders of that supermajority quickly but deliberately redrew congressional districtsto favor Republican candidates this year after the U.S. Supreme County allowed states to do so. Historical signs show Tennessee's congressional races might not be close, even in the new district borders, Goodale said. Before the change, Tennessee only had one Democratic congressman representing the counties around Memphis, and the districts were redrawn to break it up.
It's a different story in neighboring swing states likeGeorgia and North Carolina. Those states are in play for Democrats in U.S. Senate and U.S. House races as control of Congress could flip.
"Does it look like the contest, the election, is close? Do all the polls show that? How does it look?" Goodale said students should consider.
Whether a student supports a Democratic or Republican candidate, their vote could matter more anywhere the margin is tight.
Can you rely on absentee or mail-in ballots?
Thirty-seven states and Washington, D.C., allow voters to cast ballots by mail without providing an excuse. If you're a student registered back home and can request a mail-in ballot, it could be easy for you to do so.
Absentee ballots take more work. Voters can apply for an absentee ballot if they aren't able to vote in person, but the rules vary by state. That means you should get a plan together now and submit an application to start the process.
Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court blocked a Trump administration change to U.S. Postal Service rulesthat would have complicated mail-in voting.
The back-and-forth just brings up another worry, Goodale said.
"Are we trusting the system that your ballot won't be lost along the way?" Goodale asked.
Not all elections are the same
There's one other factor to consider as well: the sheer number of races where you can make a difference.
All 435 seats in the House of Representatives are up for election on Nov. 3, as well as 35 U.S. Senate seats and 36 governorships. Tennessee has all of those major races on the ballot this time.
Many other states have additional races on their ballots such as attorney general and secretary of state. Those aren't elected positions in Tennessee.
And the depth of the voters' knowledge matters, too. Those who are deeply involved in lower races such as state house – whether that's here or back home – might not be able to resist voting in those races as well.
Allie Feinberg is the politics reporter for Knox News. Email: allie.feinberg@knoxnews.com; Reddit: u/KnoxNewsAllie
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: I'm a student. Does my midterm vote matter more here or back home?
