When to register by
You must register by .
How to vote
You can vote early from to and on Election Day, Nov. 6.
You can vote in person on Election Day, Nov. 6.
You can vote by .
What to bring
When you vote is required.
Wait times in 2016
The typical voter in your state waited minutes in 2016.
More about voting in your state
Did we get something wrong about the current rules for voting in ? Let us know.
The right to vote is enshrined in the Constitution, but how to exercise that right differs across the country.
“The process someone goes through to cast a ballot is different in every state,” said Trey Hood, a political science professor at the University of Georgia. State legislators have a number of legal levers — from early voting to voter ID restrictions — to change how voting works. As a result, some voters will have an easier time voting in elections on Nov. 6 than others.
When to register by
Many voters must register before Election Day
Same-day voter registration gives a small boost to voter turnout, according to Hood. It is practiced in only 17 states, while an almost equal number of states require voters to register almost a month before they’ll cast their vote. Same-day voter registration will be on the ballot this fall in Maryland.
Automatic voter registration
Must register earlier
Can register closer to Election Day
13 states have
an Oct. 9
deadline
AK
RI
OH
KY
PA
MI
FL
NM
GA
AZ
TN
TX
MS
IN
AR
MO
NY
OK
DE
VA
Oct. 16
LA
NJ
WV
OR
KS
SC
MA
NV
SD
AL
Oct. 26
NE
WA
MD
NC
17 states allow
Election Day
registration
NH
ME
WI
IL
DC
VT
UT
WY
CT
MT
MN
ND
HI
CO
CA
ID
IA
13 states have
an Oct. 9
deadline
17 states allow
Election Day
registration
Oct.16
Oct. 26
CT
CO
FL
DC
AZ
HI
WV
GA
IL
AR
IA
OR
KY
ME
SD
MD
IN
OK
AK
SC
ID
MO
DE
VA
NV
NE
WA
NJ
MI
NH
AL
MS
NC
NY
MA
RI
MN
LA
OH
VT
TN
MT
KS
PA
WI
TX
ND
NM
UT
CA
WY
13 states have
an Oct. 9
deadline
17 states allow
Election Day
registration
Oct. 16
Oct. 26
CO
CT
FL
DC
HI
AZ
GA
WV
IL
IA
AR
KY
OR
ME
ID
IN
RI
SD
MD
OK
SC
MI
MO
DE
VA
NV
NE
WA
NJ
MN
NH
AK
MS
NC
NY
AL
MA
OH
LA
MT
VT
TN
PA
KS
WI
ND
TX
NM
CA
UT
WY
Select counties in Florida and North Carolina have received an extension of the voter registration deadline due to hurricanes. Similarly, South Carolina has extended the deadline to Oct. 17 statewide. North Dakota does not require voter registration.
Earlier this year, the Massachusetts Supreme Court upheld the state’s registration deadline of 20 days prior to an election. The court sided with the state’s argument that it was a reasonable deadline and necessary to prepare for elections over the American Civil Liberties Union’s claim that the deadline disenfranchised thousands.
Voter registration differs not just by when, but how. “Automatic voter registration is a bright spot in voting today,” said Myrna Pérez of the Brennan Center for Justice. Residents receiving a new driver’s license are automatically registered to vote, unless they decline. It has been implemented in 10 states and approved in five more. Automatic registration is on the ballot in Michigan and Nevada this fall. In Oregon, the first state to implement it, registration nearly quadrupled. In the next election — in the fall of 2016 — the state experienced the nation’s largest voter turnout increase.
Share of voters purged in 2016
Voter purge rates vary across states
Electoral rolls, the list of registered voters, are periodically purged by state officials. Purges keep rolls clean of voters who, for instance, have died or moved away. But according to a recent Brennan Center report, purge rates have dramatically increased in the past decade.
Fewer purged
More purged
0
NM
IA
CT
SC
SD
AL
WV
5%
CO
MI
CA
KY
OR
RI
KS
NJ
MN
DE
FL
MS
MD
NE
VT
AK
ID
WA
PA
LA
AR
MT
GA
10%
AZ
NV
TN
NC
OK
MA
VA
OH
WY
DC
15%
IN
0
5%
10%
15%
CO
KS
WV
OR
MS
AK
NC
LA
GA
IA
AL
KY
FL
NE
TN
MA
OH
NM
ID
WA
MT
WY
DC
IN
CT
SD
CA
DE
VT
NV
OK
VA
PA
AR
SC
MI
MN
MD
AZ
RI
NJ
0
5%
10%
15%
CO
KS
WV
OR
MS
AK
NC
LA
GA
IA
AL
KY
FL
NE
TN
MA
OH
NM
ID
WA
MT
WY
DC
IN
CT
SD
CA
DE
VT
NV
OK
VA
PA
AR
SC
MI
MN
MD
AZ
RI
NJ
Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, Texas and Utah did not have sufficient data. North Dakota does not register voters.
“The [purges] are so much bigger, ” Pérez said. Spurred by largely unfounded fears of voter fraud, equipped with faulty data and sometimes in disregard of federal law, some states are purging “whack-a-doodle numbers” of voters, she says. During the 2016 Democratic primary in Brooklyn, thousands of voters showed up to polls and found their names had been removed from the rolls. There had recently been an illegal purge of over 100,000 voters.
Purge rates have not increased equally across the country. The Brennan Center found areas previously under federal oversight because of a history of discriminatory voting had higher levels of purges. In 2013 with the decision of Shelby County v. Holder, the Supreme Court struck down a portion of the Voting Rights Act that required states and jurisdictions with a history of discriminatory voter practices to gain federal approval before implementing changes to voting laws and practices. If these jurisdictions — states including South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Arizona and Alaska, and parts of North Carolina, Florida, California, South Dakota, Michigan and New York City — had purge rates on par with the rest of the country, more than 2 million voters would have stayed on electoral rolls for the 2016 election.
Areas previously covered under the Voting Rights Act have done more than purge voters. Last week, the federal Commission on Civil Rights issued a searing report on voting rights. It found that, after the Shelby decision, jurisdictions made changes to voting procedures that previously wouldn’t have been approved because they disproportionately limited minority voter access.
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When to vote
Most in-person early voting starts in October
“The overwhelming majority of studies show early voting increases turnout by 2 to 4 percent,” said Paul Gronke, director of the Early Voting Information Center at Reed College. Early voting provides greater convenience to voters, as well as access to the polls for communities challenged to make time on a Tuesday. Hood points out, however, that early voting convenience depends on its investment — a single early voting location for an entire county is not necessarily convenient to most voters.
More convenient
Less convenient
Sept.
21/22
NJ
VT
MN
SD
WY
Sept. 26
IL
Oct. 6
IA
ME
NE
CA
IN
OH
AZ
NM
MT
ID
WI
GA
Oct. 16
NC
TN
OR
WA
NV
MA
ND
TX
CO
DC
AK
AR
KS
LA
MD
HI
UT
WV
Oct. 26
FL
OK
13 states lack
early voting
MO
MS
VA
PA
SC
KY
AL
RI
CT
DE
MI
NH
NY
13 states lack
early voting
Sept. 26
Oct. 6
Oct. 16
Oct. 26
AL
CT
TX
Sept.
21/22
SC
RI
ND
VT
NM
MD
PA
NY
MA
CA
WV
NJ
MT
WI
OR
VA
NH
KS
NE
NV
UT
FL
OK
WY
IL
ID
OH
TN
MS
MI
DC
WA
ME
LA
AZ
SD
GA
NC
MO
DE
IA
CO
HI
MN
IN
KY
AR
AK
13 states lack
early voting
Sept. 26
Oct. 6
Oct. 16
Oct. 26
AL
TX
CT
Sept.
21/22
SC
ND
RI
NM
MD
VT
PA
NE
MA
NY
NJ
WI
MT
OR
WV
VA
NV
ME
KS
NH
WY
IL
FL
OK
ID
TN
UT
OH
MS
IA
DC
WA
MI
SD
NC
AZ
GA
LA
MO
CA
CO
DE
MN
IN
HI
KY
AR
AK
Some states may vary by municipality. Complete details in the “How do I vote” section. States that lack early voting allow voters to use absentee ballots if they met certain eligibility requirements.
Ohio and Nebraska both reduced their early voting periods in recent years. Attempts in Florida and North Carolina to do the same were struck down by courts. States often cite fraud to justify cutbacks to early voting. But Gronke says early voting fraud is nearly nonexistent and that cutbacks have been uniformly pushed by Republicans, who typically fare worse among early voters.
Carter Wrenn, a longtime Republican consultant and fixture in North Carolina politics, said in 2016, when the state’s voter restrictions were struck down in court, that voter fraud was an excuse — the aim was political, with African American voters caught in the middle. “Look, if African Americans voted overwhelmingly Republican, [North Carolina lawmakers] would have kept early voting right where it was,” he said.
What to bring
Photo ID is required in about one-third of states
Since 2010, over a dozen states have implemented stricter voter ID laws. In 2017 alone, 39 bills including more rigorous voter ID laws were introduced in 22 states, according to the Brennan Center. For some states, the passage of a voter ID law kicks off a prolonged dance with courts. After voter ID laws in Arkansas and North Dakota were struck down by courts, both states approved new laws in 2017 that, again, have ended up in court.
No ID
requirement
Non-photo ID
requirement
Photo ID
requirement
NE
NM
NC
ND
WV
NH
TX
GA
AZ
ME
MN
IL
AK
HI
IA
SD
IN
WI
PA
VT
OK
WY
CO
WA
AL
AR
ID
NJ
NY
MA
KY
KS
MS
MO
MT
LA
TN
MD
OR
OH
UT
MI
DC
DE
RI
FL
VA
CA
NV
CT
SC
No ID
requirement
Non-photo ID
requirement
Photo ID
requirement
NE
NM
NC
ND
WV
NH
TX
GA
AZ
AK
ME
MN
IL
HI
IA
SD
IN
WI
PA
VT
WY
OK
AR
CO
WA
AL
ID
MA
KY
NJ
NY
KS
MS
MO
MT
LA
OR
OH
TN
DC
MD
DE
UT
MI
RI
FL
VA
CA
NV
CT
SC
No ID
requirement
Non-photo ID
requirement
Photo ID
requirement
NE
NM
NC
ND
WV
NH
TX
AZ
GA
AK
ME
MN
IL
HI
IA
SD
IN
WI
PA
VT
WY
OK
AR
CO
WA
AL
ID
NY
MA
KY
MS
NJ
MO
KS
MT
LA
UT
TN
DC
MD
OR
OH
DE
MI
RI
FL
VA
CA
NV
CT
SC
Some states have caveats. Complete details in the “How do I vote” section.
Two recent studies examined the impact of voter ID laws in Texas and Michigan during the 2016 presidential election. While fewer than 1 percent of voters lacked photo ID, those that did were disproportionately people of color.
Median wait times in 2016
Voters in most states waited 5-10 minutes to vote
“Long lines at the polls can undermine the voting experience, even to the point of discouraging people from voting,” starts a recent report from the Bipartisan Policy Center. Wait times have generally improved over time, particularly for the worst states. In 2012, Florida had the longest average wait time of 45 minutes, followed by a 34-minute wait in the District.
Shorter wait
Longer wait
0 minutes
Vote-by-mail
states
OR
VT
WA
CO
IA
HI
MT
ME
DE
SD
5
FL
AZ
WI
CT
KS
NE
NH
WY
MA
NM
IL
NJ
CA
AK
OH
ND
MN
ID
KY
WV
MS
RI
MI
UT
NY
10
VA
TN
NV
PA
TX
LA
AL
NC
MO
15
AR
MD
GA
DC
OK
IN
SC
0 minutes
5
10
15
WY
WI
OH
NM
Vote-by-mail
states
NJ
MT
NH
WV
UT
ND
VA
OK
ME
SD
NE
MS
RI
WA
TX
NC
MD
CO
MN
TN
LA
AL
GA
IN
SC
OR
IA
DE
MA
KY
NY
PA
MO
AR
VT
IL
NV
DC
HI
KS
ID
MI
CA
FL
AK
CT
AZ
0 minutes
5
10
15
WY
WI
OH
NM
NJ
Vote-by-mail
states
MT
NH
WV
UT
ND
VA
OK
WA
ME
SD
NE
MS
RI
TX
NC
MD
TN
CO
MN
GA
IN
SC
OR
LA
AL
VT
PA
MO
AR
IA
DE
KY
NY
MA
IL
NV
DC
HI
KS
ID
MI
CA
FL
AK
CT
AZ
Wait times arise from multitude of factors, Hood said, from early voting and same-day registration policies to resources like polling places and poll workers. A recent proposal, that was ultimately scrapped, to close three-quarters of the polling places in a majority black Georgia county drew a strong backlash with civil rights groups warning of disenfranchisement.
Lines and wait times vary not just across, but within, states. According to the Bipartisan Policy Center, large precincts tend to have longer lines, along with those that are more urban, dense and have a higher proportion of minority voters. In the 2016 election, minorities were six times as likely to wait over an hour to vote, according to a recent study.
Long lines can also be indicative of limited resources. “Many jurisdictions are struggling.” Pérez said. “The nuts and bolts [of running elections] is a perennial problem.” With paltry election budgets, many local election administrators have difficulty getting enough poll workers and up-to-date voting equipment. “We have the best democracy in the world but are not willing to pay for.”
From registration deadlines to IDs, states make a number of decisions that together create a voting system more convenient or burdensome for their residents. These decisions can go on to influence whether a ballot is cast at all. Ease of voting plays a role in voter turnout across states, but voting is shaped by a myriad of factors, including the voters — older and more educated people are more likely to vote — and candidates themselves.
Some states have turnout as low as 1 in 3 eligible voters
Average turnout for the voting eligible population in the 2006, 2010 and 2014 midterm elections.
Lower turnout
Higher turnout
30% turnout
DC
TX
no voting
representation in
Congress
MS
UT
NY
IN
WV
OK
TN
NV
AL
NJ
SC
NC
CA
AZ
LA
HI
AR
GA
40%
VA
IL
PA
NM
FL
NE
ID
DE
KY
OH
KS
MO
CT
MD
NH
ND
RI
WY
MI
WA
MA
VT
50%
IA
CO
MT
AK
SD
OR
WI
MN
ME
30% turnout
40%
50%
LA
SC
HI
PA
OH
NH
WV
ID
WY
TX
UT
TN
NJ
GA
NM
MO
ND
WA
MT
SD
WI
MS
OK
VA
NE
RI
VT
IA
MN
ME
NY
NV
NC
CA
IL
KY
MD
MA
CO
AK
OR
DC
IN
DE
MI
AL
AZ
FL
KS
CT
no voting
representation in
Congress
AR
30% turnout
40%
50%
LA
SC
HI
PA
OH
NH
WV
ID
WY
TN
NJ
GA
NM
MO
ND
WA
MT
SD
WI
TX
UT
MS
OK
VA
NE
RI
VT
IA
MN
ME
DC
NY
NV
NC
CA
IL
KY
MD
MA
CO
AK
OR
IN
DE
MI
AL
AZ
FL
KS
CT
no voting
representation in
Congress
AR
Brittany Renee Mayes and Brian Cleveland contributed to this report.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that the voter registration deadline in Rhode Island was Oct. 9, early voting started on Oct. 18 in North Carolina and early voting ended Nov. 5 in Georgia. An earlier version misstated the early voting deadline in Maryland as Oct. 16; in-person registration also occurs from Oct. 25 to Nov. 1.
About this story
Voter registration and early voting dates are sourced from the U.S. Vote Foundation, the National Conference of State Legislatures and Washington Post research. Automatic voter registration information from the National Conference of State Legislatures and the Brennan Center for Justice. Purge rates were provided by the Brennan Center and based off the U.S. Election Assistance Commission’s Election Administration and Voting Survey. Voter ID requirements data is care of the National Conference of State Legislatures and Ballotpedia. Data on wait times for the 2016 election is from MIT Election and Data Science Lab’s Elections Performance Index. Midterm election voter turnout data is from the U.S. Elections Project.
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