On November 8th, it will be time to decide a new President of the United States. If you’re not registered to vote, now’s the time to make sure you’re ready when it comes time to visit the polls. Here’s all the information you need to get it done.


Voter Registration Deadlines For Each State

We’re going to highlight this information up front because deadlines motivate people. Here are the registration deadlines for all 50 states, plus Washington D.C. (unfortunately territories like Puerto Rico cannot vote in the general election). Check your state’s deadline and make sure you’re registered before the dates below.


Alabama: October 24, 2016

October 24, 2016 Alaska: Postmarked by October 9, 2016; Email or fax received by October 9, 2016

Postmarked by October 9, 2016; Email or fax received by October 9, 2016 Arizona: October 10, 2016

October 10, 2016 Arkansas: October 10, 2016

October 10, 2016 California: October 24, 2016

October 24, 2016 Colorado: October 31, 2016 (Election Day Registration available)

October 31, 2016 (Election Day Registration available) Connecticut: November 1, 2016 (Election Day Registration available)

November 1, 2016 (Election Day Registration available) Delaware: October 15, 2016

October 15, 2016 District of Columbia: October 17, 2016

October 17, 2016 Florida: October 11, 2016

October 11, 2016 Georgia: October 11, 2016

October 11, 2016 Hawaii: October 10, 2016

October 10, 2016 Idaho: October 14, 2016

October 14, 2016 Illinois: October 11, 2016 (Grace Period until November 8, 2016)

October 11, 2016 (Grace Period until November 8, 2016) Indiana: October 11, 2016

October 11, 2016 Iowa: October 29, 2016

October 29, 2016 Kansas: October 18, 2016

October 18, 2016 Kentucky: October 11, 2016

October 11, 2016 Louisiana: October 11, 2016

October 11, 2016 Maine: Per post by October 18, 2016; Same Day Voter Registration is available

Per post by October 18, 2016; Same Day Voter Registration is available Maryland: October 18, 2016

October 18, 2016 Massachusetts: October 19, 2016

October 19, 2016 Michigan: October 11, 2016

October 11, 2016 Minnesota: October 18, 2016 (Election Day Registration is available)

October 18, 2016 (Election Day Registration is available) Mississippi: Postmarked by October 8, 2016

Postmarked by October 8, 2016 Missouri: October 12, 2016

October 12, 2016 Montana: October 11, 2016

October 11, 2016 Nebraska: October 21, 2016

October 21, 2016 Nevada: October 8, 2016; October 18, 2016 if online or in-person

October 8, 2016; October 18, 2016 if online or in-person New Hampshire: October 29, 2016

October 29, 2016 New Jersey: October 18, 2016

October 18, 2016 New Mexico: October 11, 2016

October 11, 2016 New York: Postmarked by October 14, 2016 and received by October 19, 2016; In-person by October 14, 2016

Postmarked by October 14, 2016 and received by October 19, 2016; In-person by October 14, 2016 North Carolina: October 14, 2016

October 14, 2016 North Dakota: No voter registration required

No voter registration required Ohio: October 11, 2016

October 11, 2016 Oklahoma: October 14, 2016

October 14, 2016 Oregon: October 18, 2016

October 18, 2016 Pennsylvania: October 11, 2016

October 11, 2016 Rhode Island: October 9, 2016

October 9, 2016 South Carolina : October 8, 2016

: October 8, 2016 South Dakota: October 24, 2016

October 24, 2016 Tennessee: October 11, 2016

October 11, 2016 Texas: October 11, 2016

October 11, 2016 Utah: Post by October 11, 2016; Online or in-person by November 1, 2016

Post by October 11, 2016; Online or in-person by November 1, 2016 Vermont: November 2, 2016

November 2, 2016 Virginia: October 17, 2016

October 17, 2016 Washington: October 10, 2016 if by mail or online, October 31, 2016 if in-person

October 10, 2016 if by mail or online, October 31, 2016 if in-person West Virginia: October 18, 2016

October 18, 2016 Wisconsin: Postmarked by October 19, 2016; In-person at clerk’s office thru November 4, 2016; At the polls on Election Day, November 8, 2016

Postmarked by October 19, 2016; In-person at clerk’s office thru November 4, 2016; At the polls on Election Day, November 8, 2016 Wyoming: October 24, 2016

You can find more deadlines for things like absentee voting and early in-person registration for your state at the U.S. Vote Foundation’s website here. Some states allow you to register all the way up until Election Day, while others will cut you off at least a month early. However, you’re better off registering as early as possible, as this also makes you prepared for early and/or absentee voting, which is much more convenient.

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Find Your State’s Registration Rules and Get Registered


Every state has different rules for voter registration. Fortunately, Vote.org, run by non-profit advocacy group Long Distance Voter makes deciphering those rules pretty straightforward. Follow these steps:

Head to the Register to Vote page on Vote.org here Scroll to the section labeled “Jump directly to your state.” Scroll down to read the registration guide with information on the requirements and deadlines for your state. When you’re ready, fill out the form at the top of the page. This will direct you to your state’s online registration, where available, or the forms you need to fill out for mail-in registration.


If you’re concerned about handing over your data to a third-party agency, you can read Vote.org’s privacy policy here. Most of the information you’ll use to register will be part of a public voter database anyway, and Vote.org says they delete private information like your driver’s license number immediately after it’s used to determine where you need to register. Still, if you’d rather avoid the third party, you can look up your state’s registration information from the United States Election Assistance Commission here, but Vote.org is much simpler.

If you already voted in your state’s primary, you should still be registered. You can also use Vote.org to check your registration status if you’re not sure. It can’t hurt to double check, especially if you have moved since the primary or will move before the general election in November. The Brennan Center for Justice has a guide for voting after a move if you plan to relocate prior to the election.


The Difference Between Absentee and Early Voting

Once you’re registered to vote, you can look into absentee ballots or early in-person voting. Both of these methods let you cast your vote for the candidates you want without having to spend hours in line on Election Day. This makes voting super convenient and if you’re already looking into how to vote, you may as well get started on this now. Here’s what these two categories of voting mean:

Absentee Ballots: Absentee ballots are mail-in forms that allow voters to cast their votes before election day. Currently, all 50 states will send out absentee ballot forms to voters who request one, however 20 states require voters to provide an excuse for why they can’t vote on election day. You can request an absentee ballot as soon as you’re registered, though they won’t be sent out until the ballots are finalized. Again, you can check Vote.org for details on absentee voting in your state

Absentee ballots are mail-in forms that allow voters to cast their votes before election day. Currently, all 50 states will send out absentee ballot forms to voters who request one, however 20 states require voters to provide an excuse for why they can’t vote on election day. You can request an absentee ballot as soon as you’re registered, though they won’t be sent out until the ballots are finalized. Again, you can check Vote.org for details on Early Voting: 37 states allow you to show up in person to vote early, as long as you’re registered. No excuse is required for any of these states. The three states that use all-mail voting (Colorado, Oregon, and Washington) can also be considered “early voting,” since they already allow you to mail in your ballots ahead of time. You can find the early voting schedule for your state, as well as links to your local voting offices to find out where to vote early at Vote.org’s Early Voting Calendar here


The National Conference of State Legislatures has created a tool here that shows which states support which forms of absentee or early voting. Most states support both, so you have some options in how to cast your vote. We highly recommend getting your votes in early, as you can avoid long lines and the chaos of taking off work on the day when everyone else is rushing to the polls.

For the 2016 election, it’s easier than ever to register and get your vote in early. Both major political parties are holding their conventions in July to determine their presidential nominees. Once that happens, you can expect both parties (as well as any independents) to kick their campaigns up a notch, so it doesn’t hurt to be prepared.




Photo by Getty Images.