- Register online in any state but Arkansas, Maine (up until late 2023), Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Texas, or Wyoming.
- Make sure the information you provide matches the information on your state-issued ID exactly to avoid any issues with your registration.
- Provide the information from your state-issued driver's license or ID to confirm your identity.
- Wait to get a voter registration card in the mail to confirm that you're officially registered to vote.
Eligibility
Check if your state offers online registration. As of September 2023, 41 states, D.C., and Guam offer online voter registration. Check the website of your state's election office for specifics. As of September 2023, online registration isn't available in Arkansas, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Texas, or Wyoming. In these states, register to vote by mail. Maine enacted a law to offer online voter registration, which will be effective starting November 1, 2023. North Dakota doesn't require voters to register.
Confirm you meet your state's eligibility requirements. At a minimum, you must be a US citizen and at least 18 years old on or before Election Day to be eligible to vote. Those are the federal requirements, but many states have additional eligibility requirements. For example, some states don't allow you to register to vote if you've been convicted of a felony or declared incompetent by a judge in a court of law. Felon voting rights are changing rapidly. Check your rights anonymously for free through Restore Your Vote, a project of the Campaign Legal Center.
Look up your state's registration deadline. Although you can still register, you won't be able to vote in the next election if your state's deadline has passed. Online deadlines are different from in-person deadlines. Even if the online deadline has passed, you might still be able to register to vote in person. You can register on Election Day in 21 states and Washington, the District of Columbia, but this applies to in-person registration only. For general guidance, register: At least 28-30 days before the next election: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, the U.S. Virgin Islands At least 20-27 days before the next election: Delaware, Kansas, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, West Virginia At least 1-15 days before the next election: Alabama, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New York, Pennsylvania, South Dakota North Carolina offers same-day voter registration only during the early voting period, but not on Election Day.
Online Application
Find your state's official online voter registration form. Every state that allows online voter registration has its own state-specific website. Even easier, start your application on Vote.org or Vote.gov. When you enter your state and basic information, you'll be transferred directly to your state's site to complete your application. If any of your information, such as your name or address, has changed, and you need to update your registration, you can do that using the same form.
Enter your personal information in the appropriate boxes. At a minimum, you're required to provide your name, address, and date of birth. If you have a different mailing address, enter it in the appropriate box so your state can mail your voter registration card to you. As of September 2023, 36 states have voter ID laws that require you to present photo ID when you vote. If you live in one of these states, make sure the information you provide on your registration application matches the information on your photo ID exactly. There are also blanks for your email address and phone number, but you aren't required to provide this information if you don't want to.
Provide a state-issued ID number to confirm your identity. The form asks for your ID number, as well as the date your ID was issued and the date it expires. Your state will compare the information with state records to confirm your identity. If you don't have a state-issued driver's license or ID, some states allow you to provide a Social Security number instead. Other IDs can be presented when you go to vote for the first time if you don't have a number to include on your voter registration form. Check the website of your state's election office to see what types of ID your state accepts.
Select your political party preference if your state requires it. States with closed or partially closed primaries require you to declare a political party affiliation if you want to vote in those primaries. This information is typically optional, but not providing it could impact your ability to vote in primary elections. The online form will typically include information about political party preference and how it might impact your ability to vote. Parties you have to choose from typically include Republican, Democratic, Libertarian, or Independent. Some states might also recognize other parties.
Final Registration
Submit your registration application form online. Read over the information you provided to confirm everything is accurate and spelled correctly. Fix any errors you find before you click the button to submit it. If you provided your email address, you'll likely get an email letting you know that your registration application was received.
Check your registration status at your state's election office website. Allow at least a few days for your application to be processed, then check your registration status online. If you're still not showing as registered, wait a few more days and then try again. Be patient! Sometimes it can take a couple of weeks to process your application, especially if you submitted it close to the deadline.
Get your voter registration card in the mail. Your state sends you a voter registration card when you're officially registered, in part to confirm your mailing address. While you don't need to present your registration card to vote, it does show that you're officially registered. It can take a couple of weeks to get your voter registration card. If it's close to Election Day, it might be quicker to check your status online.
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