As the westernmost institution in the UNC system, Western Carolina University provides
educational opportunities to residents of the state’s western region and attracts
students from around the globe to explore the area’s vast resources.
At Western Carolina University, we view our admissions process as our opportunity
to build the community that defines our institution. We look for people eager to explore
and ready to redefine success.
Programs and courses at Western Carolina are designed to provide hands-on, applied
experience. Students engage with communities across the region as they practice their
profession in real-world environments.
Western Carolina’s unique mountain location helps fuel a vibrant campus community
with more than 170 student clubs and organizations as well as a busy performing arts
calendar and the campus’s own adventure guide service.
Western Carolina is home to 16 Southern Conference athletic teams with more than 375
student athlete competitors. WCU strives to inspire student-athletes to compete like
champions on the field and in the classroom.
Western Carolina was founded to serve the region it calls home, and that has not changed.
WCU continues to focus on regional development initiatives, engaged service and community
programs. It also partners with alumni and donors to ensure access to higher education
for deserving students in the region and beyond.
The polling place is located in the Multipurpose Room of the UC and will be open October 15th-30th M-F from 8:00am-7:30pm and Saturdays from 8:00am-6:00pm.
It will also be open on October 31st from 8:00am-3:00pm.
You can same day register and vote during early voting in the Multipurpose Room of
the UC.
It's your right to vote, we're here to help support you. Here you'll find resources
and information to navigate any questions you may have. Whether you need help registering,
looking to be more educated on the issues, or assuring you are able to cast your ballot!
You can also learn how to get invovled on-campus with the Student Democracy Coalition, a
nonpartisan organization dedicated to increasing civic engagement on our campus.
Questions? Email Lane Perry or come by the Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning in Belk 273.
It's important to know the facts behind candidates and how the voting process works
in out country. Here are a few usefull resources:
Come by the CCESL office at Belk 273 for a paper North Carolina 2020 Voting Guide.
Voting Education and Events
Instant Democracy: Just Add You! - UC Lawn
Oct 15, 19, 22, 29, 30 - 11-1pm
Oct 20, 21, 27- 12-2pm
Come by and grab an "instant" serving of coffee, tea, hot chocolate, or ramen and
also a packet with information on how to vote at the UC Polling Place and learn about
candidates.
Democracy Day - Wednesday October 28 11-1pm
Come out to the Blude Ridge Lawn and meet local and regional candidates while socially
distanced and learn more about voting issues around the country.
Debate Watch Parties - We'll have BINGO cards and the first 5 BINGOs after every debate will receive a
prize after they turn it in to the Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning.
BINGO cards will be available day of in front of the UC Theater.
Come and watch the first presidential debate with Last Minute Productions and Student
Democracy Coalition! In-person RSVPs are limited to the first 8 sign-ups but we will
be hosting a Zoom webinar to chat and tune in! The link for the webinar is in the
RSVPs and will be sent via email 2 hours prior to the event.
Come and watch the first presidential debate with Last Minute Productions and Student
Democracy Coalition! In-person RSVPs are limited to the first handful of sign-ups,
but we will be hosting a Zoom webinar to chat and tune in! The link for the webinar
is in the RSVPs and will be sent via email 2 hours prior to the event.
Sometimes the process of voting and registering to vote can be confusing. Here are
a few helpful tips when registering to vote at WCU:
Online Registration: If you have a valid North Carolina ID and know your social security number you can
vote online! Just follow the six steps below - or follow this visual flowchart.
Enter your NC Driver License or DMV-issued ID Card number, Social Security number
(SSN), & date of birth
You can register to vote, update your address, & change party affiliation
Paper Registration: There are lots of opportunities to fill out a paper registration!
Come to our offices in Belk 273 - We have paper forms and can help walk you through the process step by step. We can
even mail your completed registration for you!
Register at a voter registration drive - each fall the Student Democracy Coalition sponsers voter registration drives all across
campus! Check back later for dates and locations.
Go to the DMV - The helpful employees at the DMV can fill out a Voter Registration card for you and
print it in person. Find your local branch.
Once you have completed, signed, and dated your paper voter registration application,
you have a few options. You can mail the application into the county Board of Elections,
you can take it to the Board of Elections in person, or you can come by the Center
for Community Engagement and Service Learning in Belk 273 and we will be happy to
turn it in for you.
The address for the Jackson County Board of Elections is:
876 Skyland Drive Suite 1 Sylva, NC 28779
Additional tips and resources:
Not sure what address to enter on your voter registration form? Click the following
PDF to find the 911 address for your residence hall or apartment.
If you have registered previously, but have since moved or changed dorms, it is important
to update your address. If you have changed counties, you will need to re-register.
If you have moved but still reside in the same county, you can either re-register
to update your address, or you can call the local Board of Elections and they will
be able to assist you.
If you live off campus: For your residential address you will put your current off-campus address. Your mailing address is wherever you receive your mail.
Please remember to select your political affiliation. If you leave it blank, you will
be automatically registered as an unaffiliated voter. This means you can choose which
party’s ballot you want during primarie
Voting during the time of covid-19 can be confusing. We have put all of this information
has been put into a handy flowchart that may be easier to guide your registration and voting process.
If you are NOT registered to vote and you live in Jackson County (including on-campus
residence halls) you will be able to register and vote on campus at the same time
during the dates of early voting (Oct. 15-31). This is called same day voter registration and it ROCKS! Final note - you cannot same day register on Election Day (Nov. 3) so
be sure to vote early or register ahead of time!
The Civic Engagement Action Plan 2020, drafted in collaboration with the Student Democracy
Coalition (SDC), the Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning (CCESL)
at Western Carolina University (WCU), and the Advisory Committee for Student Civic
Engagement on campus, is built on nearly a decade of high-level, sustained, student-led,
and institutionally-supported civic engagement efforts and over 125 years of community
engagement in and across the western region of North Carolina.
The Student Democracy Coalition is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to increasing civic engagement on our campus.
We are focused on voting rights and educating our student body on political topics
and issues.
Abesentee Voting: The deadline to request your abesentee ballot is 5 p.m. Tuesday,
October 27, 2020
Any North Carolina registered voter qualified to vote in an election may request and
receive a mail-in absentee ballot for any election in which absentee voting is allowed. All registered voters may request an absentee ballot for the November 2020 general
election.
No special circumstance or reason is needed to receive and vote a mail-in absentee
ballot.
Most voters who want to vote by mail must request a ballot for each election.
If you are not registered to vote in NC you can either register in NC or see your
state's voting website to request an absentee ballot. If you need help come see us
in the CCESL in Belk 273!
Early Voting: WCU has a polling place on campus for early voting!
The polling place is located in the Multipurpose Room of the UC and will be open October
15th-30th M-F from 8:00am-7:30pm and Saturdays from 8:00am-6:00pm. It will also be
open on October 31st from 8:00am-3:00pm.
As of November 26, 2019, WCU student IDs meet the NC State Board of Elections voter
ID requirements.
On that date, the State Board of Elections approved the CatCard for voting in the
state of North Carolina under N.C.G.S. § 163-166.16(a) for the primaries and general
election to be held in 2020. Western Carolina University has made several changes
to the CatCard to meet the specified criteria, including adding an expiration date
to new cards to be used as voter IDs. On Tuesday, December 31, 2019, the federal district court issued an order and preliminary
injunction of the photo ID requirement added by Session Law 2018-144 (SB824). As such,
the North Carolina State Board of Elections has requested that the following information
be shared with students:
“Voters will not be required to show photo ID for the 2020 primary election. In a December
31 order, a federal district court blocked North Carolina’s voter photo ID requirement
from taking effect. The injunction will remain in place until further order of the
court. For more information visit the State Board of Elections website: www.ncsbe.gov.”
We will update the CatCard website and share more information as it becomes available.
Campus Services and the CatCard Office remain committed to providing a voter ID compliant
CatCard should it be required in future elections.
You can register to vote in person any Tuesday or Wednesday from 12:00-2:00pm on the
UC Lawn.
or
Pop into the Center's office at Belk 273 any time between 8:00-5:00pm.
Virtual Voting Registration Drives are happening every Tuesday and Thursday from 5:00-6:00pm.
You can sign up below:
