Help & Frequently Asked Questions

IfMilitary and Overseas voters shoud go to the Overseas Vote Foundation.  Long Distance Voter's forms and deadlines should only be used by voters with US mailing addresses. 

Voter Registration

• Am I eligible to vote?
• How do I register to vote?
• Can I register to vote online?
• Do I have to provide ID when I register to vote?
• I am a college student - should I register in my home state or where I go to school?
• When is my voter registration form due?
• Do I need to re-register for every election?
• I'm not sure if I'm registered to vote.  Help!
• I'm in the military or living overseas - how do I register to vote?
• Can I register to vote and apply for an absentee ballot at the same time?

Absentee Voting

• What is absentee voting?
• Am I eligible to vote by absentee ballot?
• How do I get an absentee ballot?
• When should I request my absentee ballot?
• Where do I mail my absentee ballot application?
• When will I receive my absentee ballot?
• Help!  My absentee ballot hasn't arrived yet!
• When is my absentee ballot due?
• Do I need to provide ID if I vote by absentee ballot?
• Do I need to request an absentee ballot for every election?
• What is "permanent absentee"?
• If I requested an absentee ballot can I still vote at the polls?
• I'm in the military or living overseas - how do I get an absentee ballot?

In-Person Voting

• I'm going to vote in person. Where is my polling place?
• Do I need to provide ID if I vote in person?

About Long Distance Voter

• How was Long Distance Voter formed?
• How does Long Distance Voter collect and verify information on the site?
• Who makes up the Long Distance Voter team?
• Does Long Distance Voter have any partner organizations?

Am I eligible to vote?

Every state in the nation has three basic requirements: you must be a citizen of the United States, you must be a resident of the state in which you're planning to register, and you must be at least 18 years old by the next election.  Most states also have two restrictions: you must NOT be imprisoned or on parole for a felony conviction and you must NOT be judged mentally incompetent by a court of law

The specific eligibilty requirements vary from state to state.   Learn more about your state's voter registration requirements here.

How do I register to vote?

We recommend using our Voter Registration Widget (powered by our partner, Rock the Vote). Enter your information, print our the completed form, and mail it to your Secretary of State (the address is on the form).  It takes less than three minutes to register to vote! Start now!

• Wyoming residents can't use our Voter Registration Widget.  Here's the Wyoming Voter Registration Form.
• New Hampshire will only let you register by mail if you have a really good excuse for not registering in person (being away at college counts as a good excuse).  You'll need to call your town/city clerk and ask them to send you a mail-in-voter registration form.

Can I register to vote online?

Only Arizona and Washington state have online voter registration.  If you live anywhere else, you cannot register to vote online.  The reason is simple: you have to sign your voter registration form so election officials can compare the signature on your voter registration form to your signature when you vote at the polls (or by absentee ballot).  If the signatures match, everything is good.  This is a basic safeguard against voter fraud.  It takes only three minutes to register to vote.  Register to vote now!

Do I have to provide ID when I register to vote?

The Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) established voter ID requirements for first-time voters who register by mail.  You must meet these requirements the first-time you vote in any state - even if you've voted before in another state. The easist way to meet the HAVA requirements is to put your driver's license number (or state ID card number) on your voter registration form.  If you don't have a license, or if your license has a different address than your voter registration address, you'll need to provide additional ID.  Acceptable forms of ID include: a current and valid photo identification that shows your name (driver's license, US passport, student ID, military ID, work ID, tribal ID, etc) OR a current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government check or other government document that shows your name and address.

Long Distance Voter recommends that you include a copy of your ID with your voter registration form, or with your absentee ballot application.  If you vote in person, we recommend that you bring your ID with you to to polls.  Better safe than sorry!  Please keep in mind that your state may have additional voter ID requirements that go beyond the Federal requirements.

I am a college student - should I register in my home state or where I go to school?

The choice is legally yours: you can register on campus or you can register back home.  Long Distance Voter encourages you to register wherever your vote will have the greatest impact.  To learn more, check out our partners, CountMore.org. 

If you want to register where you go to school, we recommend checking out the Student Voting Guide (a project of the Brennan Center for Justice). This neat widget they've built will guide you to the right page:

When is my voter registration form due?

Voter registration deadlines vary from state to state, but most are due at least 30 days before the election.  You can see the deadlines for all fifty states here. 

Do I need to re-register for every election?

No.  You only need to re-register to vote if you've moved, if you've changed your name, if you'd like to switch political parties, or if you haven't voted in the past four years.

I'm not sure if I'm registered to vote.  Help!

Our verify your voter registration page includes tools for verifying your voter registration in all 50 states.   You'll probably need to know which county you live in to verify your registration; if you need to, you can look up your county here.   If the tools are inconclusive, just go ahead and register to vote again.

I'm in the military or living overseas - how do I register to vote?

We recommend going to the Overseas Vote Foundation.  They'll help you register to vote - and request your absentee ballot at the same time.  They'll also tell you exactly where to mail everything.

Can I register to vote and apply for an absentee ballot at the same time?

The LDV team is currently reaching out to each state to get the answer to this question. As soon as we know, we'll post it on the site.  In the meantime, please register to vote first, and then request your absentee ballot. 

What is absentee voting?

Absentee voting (a.k.a "mail-in voting" and "by-mail voting") is conducted by mail-in paper ballot prior to the day of the election.  It's really easy to get an absentee ballot.  First, register to vote.  Second, apply for an absentee ballot.  Our Absentee Voter Guides have voter registration forms, absentee ballot applications, deadlines and easy to follow directions.  

Am I eligible to vote by absentee ballot?

There is quite a lot of variation in states's requirements for absentee voting.  Some states offer "no excuse" absentee voting and allow any registered voter to vote absentee. Other states permit voters to vote absentee only under a limited set of circumstances.   In every state, you can vote by absentee ballot if you are temporarily out of the state.  So if you're away at college, you can almost always vote by absentee ballot. 

You'll find the exact rules for absentee voting in your state in our Absentee Voter Guides. 

How do I get an absentee ballot?

You need to apply for an absentee ballot using your state's absentee ballot application.  Our Absentee Voter Guides include forms, deadlines, directions, and mailing addresses.  Complete your application, sign where indicated, and mail it to your county election official before the deadline.  If you're not sure which county you live in, you can look up your county here (offsite link which opens in a new window) . Once your application is approved, they'll mail you your absentee ballot.

When should I request my absentee ballot?

Generally, you should request your absentee ballot 4-6 weeks before the election.  Absentee ballots are generally printed and mailed 30 days before the election.  If you request your ballot too soon, most states will just hang on to your application until the ballots are ready.  Some states will reject your application if you request too soon!  Your absentee ballot request MUST be received by the deadline.  You can see the deadlines here.

Where do I mail my absentee ballot application?

Absentee ballots are handled at the county level.  You'll find links to the mailing address for your county in your state's Absentee Voter Guide.  If you need to, you can lookup your county here.  Do not mail your absentee ballot application to your Secretary of State.  They will reject your form. 

When will I receive my absentee ballot?

Most states mail absentee ballots 30 days before an election.  If it's within two weeks of the election and you still haven't received your absentee ballot, you should follow up with the county election official to whom you mailed your absentee ballot application.  We recommend using the Overseas Vote Foundation's Election Official Directory.  It's the most up-to-date directory available anywhere.

Help!  My absentee ballot hasn't arrived yet!

Most states print and mail absentee ballots starting 30 days before an election.  If you applied more than 30 days before the election, don't panic.  Election officials probably haven't mailed the ballots yet.  If you applied within 30 days of the election, you might want to call your County Election Official (offsite link).  If it's within two weeks of the election, you definitely want to call your County Election Official and see what's going on. 

When is my absentee ballot due?

Absentee ballots are generally due by the close of polls on Election Day.  You can see the exact deadlines here. 

Do I need to provide ID if I vote by absentee ballot?

Under Federal law, first time voters who registered by mail have to provide ID the first time they vote in person or by absentee ballot.  (You may be exempt from this if you provided a copy of your ID with your voter registration form, or if election officials were able to verify your identity using your in-state driver's license number, your in-state ID number, or your Social Security number).  It's best to include a copy of your ID with your absentee ballot application.  Acceptable forms of ID include: a current and valid photo identification that shows your name (driver's license, US passport, student ID, military ID, work ID, tribal ID, etc) or A current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government check or other government document that shows your name and address. 

Some states have additional voter ID requirements for absentee voters.  Please check the Absentee Voter Guide for your state to learn more.  

Do I need to request an absentee ballot for every election?

This varies from state to state.  Some states will let you use one application to request absentee ballots for every election that year.  Other states insist that you submit an individual application for each election.  California and Colorado offer "permanent absentee" status to voters.  Those states will automatically send a ballot for every election each year to voters on the permanent list.  (See below for more information).  Oregon and Washington are both vote-by-mail states (with the exception of King County, Washington); voters in these states automatically receive a ballot in the mail for every election. Check the Absentee Voter Guide for your state to learn more.  If the guide doesn't have the answer you're looking for, you should contact your Secretary of State.  The contact information is at the bottom of the Voter Guide. 

Can I apply for permanent absentee status?

This varies from state to state.  Some states (such as California and Colorado) let any voter apply for permanent absentee status.  Once  you're approved,  the state will automatically mail you an absentee ballot for each eligible election.  A handful of other states offer permanent absentee status only to disabled voters.  Oregon is entirely vote-by-mail, which means all voters automatically receive their ballots in the mail.  Washington State has switched to vote-by-mail as well, with the exception of King County (which includes Seattle).  Residents of King County can vote in person or by mail, and can also request permanent vote-by-mail status.  You can check the Absentee Voter Guide for your state to see if your state offers permanent absentee status.  

If I requested an absentee ballot can I still vote at the polls?

This varies from state to state.  If you have questions about your state's procedures, it's best to contact your Local Election Official (offsite link). 

I'm in the military or living overseas - how do I get an absentee ballot?

We recommend going to the Overseas Vote Foundation.  They'll help you register to vote and request your absentee ballot at the same time.  They'll also tell you exactly where to mail everything.

I'm going to vote in person.  Where is my polling place?

Your polling place is listed on your voter registration card.  If you lost this card, don't worry: you're not alone.  You can use the  online polling place locator at Vote411.org. 

Do I need to provide ID if I vote in person?

Under Federal law, first time voters who registered by mail have to provide ID the first time they vote in person or by absentee ballot.  Acceptable forms of ID include a current and valid photo identification that shows your name (driver's license, US passport, student ID, military ID, work ID, tribal ID, etc) or a current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government check or other government document that shows your name and address. (You may be exempt from this if you provided put your in-state driver's license number or your in-state ID number on your voter registration form.  You're probably exempt if you included a copy of your ID with your voter registration form). 

Some states have additional voter ID requirements that apply to all voters, and they can be picky about what they'll accept.  Here are the voter ID requirements for every state.