The event—which falls on the fourth Tuesday of September each year—is designed as a celebration of democracy and encourages Americans to make sure they are eligible to vote and engage with the political process.
Important elections are just weeks away, with midterms due to be held on Tuesday, November 8. All 435 seats in the House of Representatives will be up for grabs, along with 34 of the 100 seats in the Senate.
Voters will decide which candidates fill the vacancies. Mid-terms are so-called because they take place during the middle of a President’s four-year term in office.
This year, voters in several states will face new rules about who exactly can participate, when, and how.
Renewed focus on electoral laws were sparked following former President Donald Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was “stolen” from him using fraudulent postal ballots when President Joe Biden won office.
How to Register Online
In the U.S., every state except one requires to citizens to register in order to cast a vote. North Dakota is the only state that does not mandate registration, although eligible voters must show ID in order to cast their ballot.
States have different rules regarding registration requirements and whether voters can sign up online. To check your state’s requirements and to fill out the form online if you live in an eligible state, visit: https://vote.gov/.
Scroll down to find out whether voters can register online in your state and to see exactly how you can vote there. (Washington, D.C. is also included in the list.)
Other Ways to Register
Other ways to register include signing up at a municipal clerk’s office or by mail with a relevant state form, which are available in English and Spanish and can be found on the U.S. Election Assistance Commission’s website: https://www.eac.gov/.
Voting Methods
Some 35 states, plus Washington D.C., allow voters to mail-in their ballots, although some require a special excuse for doing so.
Another option for voters are ballot drop boxes, which allow Americans to submit a signed, sealed vote in some states. This method of voting became more widespread during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Voting Practices by State
ALABAMA
Allows same-day registration: No
Online registration available: Yes
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: Yes
Ballot drop boxes offered: No
Early voting: No
Voter ID: Requested
ALASKA
Allows same-day registration: No
Online registration available: Yes
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: No
Ballot drop boxes offered: Yes
Early voting: In-person early voting
Voter ID: Requested
ARIZONA
Allows same-day registration: No
Online registration available: Yes
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: No
Ballot drop boxes offered: Yes
Early voting: In-person early voting
Voter ID: Required
ARKANSAS
Allows same-day registration: No
Online registration available: No
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: Yes
Ballot drop boxes offered: Yes
Early voting: In-person early voting
Voter ID: Required
CALIFORNIA
Allows same-day registration: Yes
Online registration available: Yes
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: No
Ballot drop boxes offered: Yes
Early voting: All-mail elections, in-person optional
Voter ID: Not required
COLORADO
Allows same-day registration: Yes
Online registration available: Yes
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: No
Ballot drop boxes offered: Yes
Early voting: In-person early voting
Voter ID: Requested
CONNECTICUT
Allows same-day registration: Yes
Online registration available: Yes
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: Yes
Ballot drop boxes offered: Yes
Early voting: No
Voter ID: Requested
DELAWARE
Allows same-day registration: No
Online registration available: Yes
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: Yes
Ballot drop boxes offered: Yes
Early voting: In-person early voting
Voter ID: Requested
FLORIDA
Allows same-day registration: No
Online registration available: Yes
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: No
Ballot drop boxes offered: Yes
Early voting: In-person early voting
Voter ID: Required
GEORGIA
Allows same-day registration: No
Online registration available: Yes
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: No
Ballot drop boxes offered: Yes
Early voting: In-person early voting
Voter ID: Required
HAWAII
Allows same-day registration: Yes
Online registration available: Yes
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: No
Ballot drop boxes offered: Yes
Early voting: All-mail elections, in-person optional
Voter ID: Requested
IDAHO
Allows same-day registration: Yes
Online registration available: Yes
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: No
Ballot drop boxes offered: Yes
Early voting: In-person early voting
Voter ID: Requested
ILLINOIS
Allows same-day registration: Yes
Online registration available: Yes
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: No
Ballot drop boxes offered: Yes
Early voting: In-person early voting
Voter ID: Not required
INDIANA
Allows same-day registration: No
Online registration available: Yes
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: Yes
Ballot drop boxes offered: No
Early voting: In-person early voting
Voter ID: Required
IOWA
Allows same-day registration: Yes
Online registration available: Yes
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: No
Ballot drop boxes offered: No
Early voting: In-person early voting
Voter ID: Requested
KANSAS
Allows same-day registration: Yes
Online registration available: Yes
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: No
Ballot drop boxes offered: Yes
Early voting: In-person early voting
Voter ID: Required
KENTUCKY
Allows same-day registration: No
Online registration available: Yes
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: Yes
Ballot drop boxes offered: Yes
Early voting: In-person early voting
Voter ID: Required
LOUISIANA
Allows same-day registration: No
Online registration available: Yes
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: Yes
Ballot drop boxes offered: No
Early voting: In-person early voting
Voter ID: Requested
MAINE
Allows same-day registration: Yes
Online registration available: Yes
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: No
Ballot drop boxes offered: Yes
Early voting: In-person early voting
Voter ID: Not required
MARYLAND
Allows same-day registration: Yes
Online registration available: Yes
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: No
Ballot drop boxes offered: Yes
Early voting: In-person early voting
Voter ID: Not required
MASSACHUSETTS
Allows same-day registration: No
Online registration available: Yes
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: No
Ballot drop boxes offered: Yes
Early voting: In-personal early voting
Voter ID: Not required
MICHIGAN
Allows same-day registration: Yes
Online registration available: Yes
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: No
Ballot drop boxes offered: Yes
Early voting: In-person early voting
Voter ID: Requested
MINNESOTA
Allows same-day registration: Yes
Online registration available: Yes
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: No
Ballot drop boxes offered: Yes
Early voting: In-person early voting
Voter ID: Not required
MISSISSIPPI
Allows same-day registration: No
Online registration available: No
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: Yes
Ballot drop boxes offered: No
Early voting: No
Voter ID: Required
MISSOURI
Allows same-day registration: No
Online registration available: Yes
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: Yes
Ballot drop boxes offered: No
Early voting: In-person early voting
Voter ID: Required
MONTANA
Allows same-day registration: Yes
Online registration available: No
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: No
Ballot drop boxes offered: No
Early voting: In-person early voting
Voter ID: Required
NEBRASKA
Allows same-day registration: No
Online registration available: Yes
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: No
Ballot drop boxes offered: Yes
Early voting: In-person early voting
Voter ID: Not required
NEVADA
Allows same-day registration: Yes
Online registration available: Yes
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: No
Ballot drop boxes offered: Yes
Early voting: All-mail elections, in-person optional
Voter ID: Not required
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Allows same-day registration: Yes
Online registration available: No
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: Yes
Ballot drop boxes offered: No
Early voting: No
Voter ID: Requested
NEW JERSEY
Allows same-day registration: No
Online registration available: Yes
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: No
Ballot drop boxes offered: Yes
Early voting: In-person early voting
Voter ID: Not required
NEW MEXICO
Allows same-day registration: Yes
Online registration available: Yes
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: No
Ballot drop boxes offered: Yes
Early voting: In-person early voting
Voter ID: Not required
NEW YORK
Allows same-day registration: No
Online registration available: Yes
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: Yes
Ballot drop boxes offered: No
Early voting: In-person early voting
Voter ID: Not required
NORTH CAROLINA
Allows same-day registration: Yes
Online registration available: Yes
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: No
Ballot drop boxes offered: No
Early voting: In-person early voting
Voter ID: Not required
NORTH DAKOTA
Allows same-day registration: No registration required
Online registration available: No registration required
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: No
Ballot drop boxes offered: Yes
Early voting: In-person early voting
Voter ID: Required
OHIO
Allows same-day registration: No
Online registration available: Yes
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: No
Ballot drop boxes offered: Yes
Early voting: In-person early voting
Voter ID: Required
OKLAHOMA
Allows same-day registration: No
Online registration available: No
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: No
Ballot drop boxes offered: No
Early voting: In-person early voting
Voter ID: Required
OREGON
Allows same-day registration: No
Online registration available: Yes
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: No
Ballot drop boxes offered: Yes
Early voting: No in-person early voting
Voter ID: Not required
PENNSYLVANIA
Allows same-day registration: No
Online registration available: Yes
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: No
Ballot drop boxes offered: Yes
Early voting: In-person early voting
Voter ID: Not required
RHODE ISLAND
Allows same-day registration: No
Online registration available: Yes
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: No
Ballot drop boxes offered: Yes
Early voting: In-person early voting
Voter ID: Required
SOUTH CAROLINA
Allows same-day registration: No
Online registration available: Yes
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: Yes
Ballot drop boxes offered: No
Early voting: In-person early voting
Voter ID: Required
SOUTH DAKOTA
Allows same-day registration: No
Online registration available: No
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: No
Ballot drop boxes offered: No
Early voting: In-person early voting
Voter ID: Requested
TENNESSEE
Allows same-day registration: No
Online registration available: Yes
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: Yes
Ballot drop boxes offered: No
Early voting: In-person early voting
Voter ID: Required
TEXAS
Allows same-day registration: No
Online registration available: No
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: Yes
Ballot drop boxes offered: Yes
Early voting: In-person early voting
Voter ID: Required
UTAH
Allows same-day registration: Yes
Online registration available: Yes
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: No
Ballot drop boxes offered: Yes
Early voting: All-mail elections, in-person optional
Voter ID: Required
VERMONT
Allows same-day registration: Yes
Online registration available: Yes
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: No
Ballot drop boxes offered: Yes
Early voting: All-mail elections, in-person optional
Voter ID: Not required
VIRGINIA
Allows same-day registration: No
Online registration available: Yes
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: No
Ballot drop boxes offered: Yes
Early voting: In-person early voting
Voter ID: Requested
WASHINGTON
Allows same-day registration: Yes
Online registration available: Yes
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: No
Ballot drop boxes offered: Yes
Early voting: All-mail elections, in-person optional
Voter ID: Requested
WASHINGTON D.C.
Allows same-day registration: Yes
Online registration available: Yes
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: No
Ballot drop boxes offered: Yes
Early voting: In-person early voting
Voter ID: Not required
WEST VIRGINIA
Allows same-day registration: No
Online registration available: Yes
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: Yes
Ballot drop boxes offered: No
Early voting: In-person early voting
Voter ID: Required
WISCONSIN
Allows same-day registration: Yes
Online registration available: Yes
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: No
Ballot drop boxes offered: No
Early voting: In-person early voting
Voter ID: Required
WYOMING
Allows same-day registration: Yes
Online registration available: No
Requires an excuse to vote by mail: No
Ballot drop boxes offered: Yes
Early voting: In-person early voting
Voter ID: Required
