- Generally, you're eligible to vote if you're a US citizen who is 18 or will be 18 on or before the date of the election.
- Register to vote online in 41 states, D.C., and Guam. If you can't register online, you can still register through the mail or in person.
- Use your government-issued photo ID to verify your identity when you register or when you vote for the first time.
Determining Eligibility to Vote
Age In all states, you must be at least 18 years old on or before the date of the election to be eligible to vote. If you're not 18 yet, you can still register to vote in most states as long as you're turning 18 before the next election. In 15 states and D.C., you can pre-register to vote as early as 16. When you turn 18, your pre-registration automatically changes to a registration. In four states, you can pre-register to vote when you are 17. If pre-registration isn't an option for you, sign up to receive a text reminder on your 18th birthday along with a registration link.
Citizenship All states require you to be a US citizen to register to vote or to vote in any election. If you've recently gone through the naturalization process, be prepared to prove your citizenship when you register. Some areas do allow permanent residents to vote, but only in local elections. This includes the District of Columbia, San Francisco as well as towns and cities in Vermont and Maryland.
Residency All states require you to be a resident of the county and state where you're registering to vote. If you've moved, you can register at your new address, but you can only vote in one place! Typically, your voter registration card will be mailed to your address. Since you need your registration card to vote, this serves to verify your residence. If you're registering to vote in person on the day of the election, bring something with you that provides proof of address, such as a utility bill in your name. You can still meet your state's residency requirement even if you're homeless! Ask at your local library or at a shelter about voter registration drives.
Felony conviction In the District of Columbia, Maine, and Vermont, people convicted of a felony never lose their right to vote, even while incarcerated. In 23 states, people convicted of a felony lose their voting rights only while incarcerated (note: in Maryland, convictions for buying or selling votes can only be restored through pardon).Other states may restrict voting for some time after incarceration, or until outstanding fines are paid. Other states may restrict voting for some time after incarceration, or until outstanding fines are paid. If you've been convicted of a felony, check your voting eligibility. It's free and anonymous.
Mental competency Most states won't allow you to vote if you've been declared mentally incompetent. This only applies if you've been declared incompetent by a judge in a court of law. This doesn't include anyone who's been placed under a conservatorship or appointed a legal guardian.
Registration deadline Each state besides North Dakota has voter registration deadlines that affect whether you'll be able to vote in the next election. If you need to register, don't put it off! It only takes a few minutes and that way you can be sure you don't miss your state's deadline. North Dakota is the only state that does not require voters to register before they can vote. All other states do. 21 states and the District of Columbia have same-day registration, which allows you to register to vote on Election Day. North Carolina only offers same-day registration during the early voting period, but not on Election Day. If you haven't moved and you've already registered to vote, you don't need to re-register before every election. But it's still a good idea to check! Use the Vote.org form to quickly confirm your registration.
Registering Online
Check if your state allows you to register to vote online. As of September 2023, 41 states, the District of Columbia, and Guam offer online voter registration. The National Conference of State Legislators has an up-to-date table of the states that offer online voter registration. Most states only allow online registration if you have a state-issued driver's license or photo ID from that state.
Find the online application form for your state. Each state that offers online registration has its own website. You can also start an application at Vote.gov or Vote.org. Both of these sites give you a general application to start, then redirect you to your state's website. Many states also use the same form if you simply need to change information on a previous registration, such as your name, address, or party affiliation.
Provide your full name, address, and date of birth. If you have a different mailing address, include it in the appropriate box. Make sure the information you provide matches your state-issued driver's license or photo ID exactly.
Include your driver's license or photo ID number. As of September 2023, most states have voter ID laws. These states require you to have a state-issued driver's license or photo ID to confirm your identity when you register and when you vote. In the remaining 14 states without voter ID laws, you may still be required to provide a driver's license or photo ID number when you register, just to confirm your identity. If you don't have such an ID, you won't be able to register online but you can still register in person. Federal law requires you to provide a photo ID and proof of residency (such as a utility bill or bank statement) the first time you vote if your identity wasn't confirmed when you registered.
Select your political party affiliation if your state has closed primaries. States with closed or partially closed primaries require you to register with a specific political party if you want to vote in primary elections. You can only vote in the primary for the party you're registered for. As of 2023, 6 states have closed primaries: Delaware, Florida, Kentucky, New Mexico, New York, and Pennsylvania. Another 9 states have partially closed primaries in which parties can choose to allow unaffiliated voters to vote in their primaries: Connecticut, Idaho, Maryland, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, and West Virginia.
Check over your information carefully. Double-check that you've filled in all the required boxes and that the information you provided is accurate and spelled correctly. Especially in states with voter ID laws, make sure the information you provide matches what's on your driver's license or state ID. Fix any errors you find.
Submit your online application well before your state's registration deadline. You're not automatically registered when you submit your application—the state still needs to review your form. Processing time varies, especially close to the deadline, so it could take a few days before your registration is accepted. If you're afraid it's going to be too late, you might be better off registering in person so you don't have to worry about any delays.
Registering by Mail
Download the National Mail Voter Registration Form. This form is accepted for use in all states and territories of the US except Wyoming (North Dakota doesn't have voter registration) to register to vote by mail. If you live in New Hampshire, the state election office will send you an absentee voter mail-in registration form when you send in the national form. The form is also available in 21 different languages, including Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, and Vietnamese. If you're a US citizen but currently live outside of the US and its territories, you can still register and vote! Go to the Federal Voting Assistance Program website to learn more.
Read the federal and state instructions carefully. The general federal instructions come before the actual application. After the application are several pages with additional instructions for each state. Find your state and read those to make sure you're doing everything correctly. Your state's election office website also has the same information included in the instructions.
Check the boxes at the top of the application to confirm your eligibility. There are 2 questions in a box at the top left-hand corner of the form. Check the box under "yes" after both of these questions to confirm that you are a US citizen and are or will be 18 before Election Day.
Provide your personal information in the appropriate boxes. Write your full legal name, current address, and date of birth as they appear on your state-issued driver's license or photo ID. There's also a box for your phone number, but you aren't required to provide this information if you don't want to.
Follow your state's instructions for boxes 6, 7, and 8. Box 6 asks for an ID number, which your state's election office will use to verify your identity. Box 7 asks for your party affiliation, while box 8 asks for your race or ethnic group. Each state has its own rules for these boxes. If you don't have an ID or Social Security number, check your state's requirements to see what you're supposed to do. Some states assign you a unique voter ID number when processing your application.
Sign and date the bottom of the form. Look over your information to verify that everything is correct, then sign your full legal name in box 9. With your signature, you swear or affirm that you are a US citizen and are eligible to vote in your state. Some states require you to swear or affirm specific things not listed on the form. Make sure those things apply to you before you sign the form.
Include a copy of your identification to confirm your identity. Federal law requires you to provide photo ID and proof of residency the first time you vote. If you include a copy of your state-issued driver's license or photo ID (front and back) with your voter registration application, you won't have to do this when you vote. Check your state's voter ID laws to see what types of ID are acceptable. If your state is one that require you to show a state-issued photo ID every time you vote, this law is basically irrelevant to you.
Mail your application to the election office listed for your state. Check the registration deadline for your state in the state-by-state instructions at the end of the application. Some states have "postmarked by" deadlines while others have "received by" deadlines, so make sure you mail it in time to beat the deadline. If your state has a "received by" deadline and you're worried it won't get there in time, you might be better off taking your application in yourself and registering in person. Your state typically sends you a voter registration card in the mail, so look for this to come over the next couple of weeks.
Registering in Person
Find a location in your area where you can register. You can always register at your state or local election office. Many states also have voter registration forms at other locations, such as at Department of Motor Vehicles offices, Armed Forces recruitment centers, public assistance offices, libraries, and post offices. Check your state's in-person registration deadline before you go, especially if it's close to Election Day. As of September 2023, 21 states and the District of Columbia. have same-day voter registration on Election Day. If the deadline is looming, be prepared for long lines at the election office. You might want to try an alternative location for less of a wait.
Bring identification and proof of residency. Most states require you to bring a government-issued photo ID as well as proof of your address, such as a utility bill or pay stub. Check your state's specific requirements so you know you've got everything you need. Remember to check this before you go! If you don't have something you need, you'll have to come back, which might not be convenient—especially if you're up against the deadline.
Fill out the paper application with your personal information. Read the form carefully to make sure you're filling it out correctly—you can ask a clerk if you're not sure what to write. Include your full legal name, address, and date of birth as it appears on your ID.Register to Vote Step 24 Version 2.jpg
Turn in your application to one of the clerks. Once you're finished, a clerk will look over your information and file your registration immediately. They'll also look at your ID and proof of residency if those are required in your state. And that's it—you're done! Your state's election office will send you a voter registration card in the mail. You don't need your registration card to vote in an election.
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