For Young Voters, the Biggest Hurdle Can Be the Stamp

Some mail-in ballots sent to New Yorkers do not to fit in the envelope they came with. 

But even when there is no problem with the ballot, just getting a stamp can be a bridge too far for Millennials. 

"You have to do it by mail, which is very annoying because as a college student that requires several steps," said Fiona Hinds, a New Yorker who is attending college in Massachusetts. She's the daughter of WNYC Planning Editor Kate Hinds, who sent a certain number of texts to nudge her daughter to vote. By the time the elder Hinds visited for parents weekend in October, the mission had been accomplished.

"I had to go to the library to print out the thing, then I had to buy an envelope, and I had to go mail it," Fiona said. "So it wasn't that hard but it would be a lot more convenient if it was done online."

At a campaign event for Democrat Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey's 11th district, the mail-in ballot obstacle was also noted. 

"For parents of college-age students, we need your help making sure they vote by mail," Sherrill told a packed room in Livingston, N.J. "A lot of our college students aren't the best at snail mail."

Two fathers chimed in. They had each been to the parents weekend for a visit, and both returned home with the ballot in hand. "We don't trust them!" they said, to a room full of laughter.