National Voter Registration Day: Which states allow online voter registration and how to do it?
It’s National Voter Registration Day and millions of Americans still need to get signed up to vote. Here’s where you can do it from the comfort of home.
The 2024 US general election is coming in just a matter of weeks. This year there are around 16 million people who will be able to cast a ballot for the first time. But in order to do so, they and millions more Americans will need to get registered so they can vote.
What better day to do that than National Voter Registration Day, a nonpartisan civic holiday which is dedicated to celebrating and growing our shared democracy held ever September 17. Getting signed up to be eligible to make you voice heard in November, and future elections, has been made quicker and simpler with online registration.
National Voter Registration Day: Which states allow online voter registration and how to do it?
The District of Columbia and 42 states allow voters in their jurisdictions to register online. But you mustn’t procrastinate as several have cutoff dates up to a month before the November 5 Election Day this year, with deadlines falling in the first week of October in over a dozen states.
Vote.gov provides a comprehensive list of registration deadlines by state.
You can find direct links to the registration site for them in this table provided by the National Conference of State Legislatures.
States that do not currently have online registration include Arkansas, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming. North Dakota does not require voter registration.
What if I can’t register online?
Then you need to download the National Voter Registration Form. It’s available here in 21 languages with an easy to follow guide about how to fill it out.
You can fill it out on screen and print the completed form, or print the blank form and fill it out by hand. Remember to sign the form before mailing it to the location listed for your state.
You’ll also find the address to send the completed form for each state clearly marked.
You can also register in person with your state or local election office.
You may also be able to register at one of these nearby public facilities. Check with the actual location first: the department of motor vehicles, armed forces recruitment centers, and state and county public assistance offices such as SNAP/food stamps and WIC.