Help & Frequently Asked Questions

Military and overseas voters should visit the Overseas Vote Foundation.  Long Distance Voter's forms and deadlines should only be used by voters with US mailing addresses. 

Voter Registration

• How do I register to vote?
  
• 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?
  
• Do I need to re-register for every election?
• How do I verify my voter registration?
  
• I'm in the military or living overseas - how do I register to vote?
  

Absentee Voting

• What is absentee voting?
  
• How do I get an absentee ballot?
• Help!  My absentee ballot hasn't arrived yet!
  
• Do I need to provide ID if I vote by absentee ballot?
• Can I vote by absentee ballot on a permanent basis?
  
• I'm in the military or living overseas - how do I get an absentee ballot?

Voter Registration

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.

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

Under Federal law, if you are a first-time voter and you registered to vote by mail then you must show ID the first time you 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.) Acceptable forms of ID include a current and valid photo identification (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 that go above and beyond the federal requirements.  Contact your Local Election Official if you have any questions about voter ID in your state.

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:

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.

How do I verify my voter registration?

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.

Absentee Voting

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. 

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.  Once your application is approved, they'll mail you your absentee ballot.  If you're not sure which county you live in, you can look up your county here

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 Local Election Official.  If it's within two weeks of the election, you definitely want to call your Local Election Official and see what's going on. 

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

Under Federal law, if you are a first-time voter and you registered to vote by mail then you must show ID the first time you 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.) Acceptable forms of ID include a current and valid photo identification (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.  If you have any questions about voter ID in your state you should contact your Local Election Official. 

Can I vote by absentee ballot on a permanent basis?

This varies from state to state.  Check the Absentee Voter Guide for your state to learn more.  If the guide doesn't have the answer you're looking for, contact your Local Election Official

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.