Voter Registration Rules

Last updated January 19, 2012

You can register to vote at any time of the year. Register to vote now so you're ready for the next election.

ALABAMA

To register to vote in Alabama you must:

be a citizen of the United States
be a resident of Alabama and your county at the time of registration
be 18 years old before any election
not have been convicted of a felony punishable by imprisonment in the penitentiary (or have had your civil and political rights restored)
not currently be declared mentally incompetent through a competency hearing
swear or affirm to “support and defend the Constitution of the U.S. and the State of Alabama and further disavow any belief or affiliation with any group which advocates the overthrow of the governments of the U.S. or the State of Alabama by unlawful means and that the information contained herein is true, so help me God”

Voter registration deadline: Voter registration is closed during the ten days preceding an election. Applications must be postmarked or delivered by the eleventh day prior to the election.

ALASKA

To register to vote in Alaska you must:

be a citizen of the United States
be at least 18 years old within 90 days of completing this registration
be a resident of Alaska
not be a convicted felon (unless unconditionally discharged)
not be registered to vote in another State

Voter registration deadline: 30 days before the election.

ARIZONA

To register to vote in Arizona you must:

be a citizen of the United States
be a resident of Arizona and your county at least 29 days preceding the next election
be 18 years old on or before the next general election
not have been convicted of treason or a felony (or have had your civil rights restored)
not currently be declared an incapacitated person by a court of law

Voter registration deadline: 29 days before the election.

ARKANSAS

To register to vote in Arkansas you must:

be a citizen of the United States
live in Arkansas at the address indicated on your voter application
be at least 18 years old before the next election
not be a convicted felon (or have completely discharged your sentence or been pardoned)
not claim the right to vote in any other jurisdiction
not previously be adjudged mentally incompetent by a court of competent jurisdiction

Voter registration deadline: 30 days before the election.

CALIFORNIA

To register to vote in California you must:

be a citizen of the United States
be a resident of California
be at least 18 years of age at the time of the next election
not be imprisoned or on parole for the conviction of a felony
not currently be judged mentally incompetent by a court of law

Voter registration deadline: 15 days before the election.

COLORADO

To register to vote in Colorado you must:

be a citizen of the United States
be a resident of Colorado 30 days prior to the election
be 18 years old on or before election day
not be confined as a prisoner or serving any part of a sentence under mandate

Voter registration deadline: 29 days before the election. If the application is received in the mail without a postmark, it must be received within 5 days of the close of registration.

CONNECTICUT

To register to vote in Connecticut you must:

be a citizen of the United States
be a resident of Connecticut and of the town in which you wish to vote
be 18 years old on or before election day
have completed confinement and parole if previously convicted of a felony, and have had your voting rights restored by Registrars of Voters.
not currently be declared mentally incompetent to vote by a court of law

Voter registration deadline: 14 days before the election.

DELAWARE

To register to vote in Delaware you must:

be a citizen of the United States
be a permanent resident of Delaware
be at least 18 years old on the date of the next general election
felons are eligible to vote if certain requirements are met: fines and sentence completed at least five years prior to application date; felony convictions can not be disqualifying felonies, which are murder, sexual offenses, or crimes against public administration involving bribery or improper influence or abuse of office.
not be mentally incompetent

Voter registration deadline: 20 days prior to the general election and 20 days prior to any primary election.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (WASHINGTON DC)

To register in the District of Columbia you must:

be a citizen of the United States
be a District of Columbia resident at least 30 days preceding the next election
be at least 18 years old on or before the next election
not be in jail for a felony conviction
not have been judged “mentally incompetent” by a court of law
not claim the right to vote anywhere outside D.C.

Voter registration deadline: 30 days before the election.

FLORIDA

To register to vote in Florida you must:

be a citizen of the United States
be a legal resident of both the State of Florida and of the county in which you seek to be registered
be 18 years old (you may preregister if you are 17)
not now be adjudicated mentally incapacitated with respect to voting in Florida or any other State
not have been convicted of a felony without your civil rights having been restored pursuant to law
not claim the right to vote in another county or state
swear or affirm the following: “I will protect and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Florida, that I am qualified to register as an elector under the Constitution and laws of the State of Florida, and that I am a citizen of the United States and a legal resident of Florida”

Voter registration deadline: 29 days before the election.

GEORGIA

To register to vote in Georgia you must:

be a citizen of the United States
be a legal resident of Georgia and of the county in which you want to vote
be 18 years old within six months after the day of registration, and be 18 years old to vote
not be serving a sentence for having been convicted of a felony
not have been judicially determined to be mentally incompetent, unless the disability has been removed

Voter registration deadline: Postmarked by the fifth Monday before any general primary, general election, or presidential preference primary, or regularly scheduled special election pursuant to the Georgia Election Code. In the event that a special election is scheduled on a date other that those dates prescribed by the Georgia Election Code, registration would close on the 5th day after the call.

HAWAII

To register to vote in Hawaii you must:

be a citizen of the United States
be a resident of the State of Hawaii
be at least 16 years old (you must be 18 years old by election day in order to vote)
not be incarcerated for a felony conviction
not be adjudicated by a court as “non compos mentis”

Voter registration deadline: 30 days before the election.

IDAHO

To register to vote in Idaho you must:

be a citizen of the United States
have resided in Idaho and in the county for 30 days prior to the day of election
be at least 18 years old
not have been convicted of a felony, and without having been restored to the rights of citizenship,
or confined in prison on conviction of a criminal offense

Voter registration deadline: 25 days before the election.

ILLINOIS

To register to vote in Illinois you must:

be a citizen of the United States
be a resident of Illinois and of your election precinct at least 30 days before the next election
be at least 18 years old on or before the next election
not be in jail for a felony conviction
not claim the right to vote anywhere else

Voter registration deadline: 28 days before the election.

Warning: If you are a first-time Illinois voter and you wish to vote by absentee ballot then you must include a copy of your ID with your voter registration application. If you do not include a copy of your ID, you'll have to vote in person the first time you vote.

INDIANA

To register to vote in Indiana you must:

be a citizen of the United States
have resided in the precinct at least 30 days before the next election
be at least 18 years of age on the day of the next general election
not currently be in jail for a criminal conviction

Voter registration deadline: 29 days before the election.

IOWA

To register to vote in Iowa you must:

be a citizen of the United States
be a resident of Iowa
be at least 17-1/2 years old (you must be 18 to vote)
not have been convicted of a felony (or have had your rights restored)
not currently be judged by a court to be "incompetent to vote"
not claim the right to vote in more than one place
give up your right to vote in any other place

Voter registration deadline: Must be delivered by 5 p.m. 10 days before the election, if it is a state primary or general election; 11 days before all others. Registration forms which are postmarked 15 or more days before an election are considered on time even if received after the deadline.

KANSAS

To register to vote in Kansas you must:

be a citizen of the United States
be a resident of Kansas
be 18 by the next election
have completed the terms of your sentence if convicted of a felony; a person serving a sentence for a felony conviction is ineligible to vote
not claim the right to vote in any other location or under any other name
not be excluded from voting for mental incompetence by a court of competent jurisdiction

Voter registration deadline: Postmarked or delivered 15 days before the election.

KENTUCKY

To register to vote in Kentucky you must:

be a citizen of the United States
be a resident of Kentucky
be a resident of the county for at least 28 days prior to the election date
be 18 years of age on or before the next general election
not be a convicted felon or if you have been convicted of a felony, your civil rights must have been restored by executive pardon
not have been judged “mentally incompetent” in a court of law
not claim the right to vote anywhere outside Kentucky

Voter registration deadline: 29 days before the election.

LOUISIANA

To register to vote in Louisiana you must:

be a citizen of the United States
be a resident of Louisiana. Residence address must be address where you claim homestead exemption, if any.
be at least 17 years old, and be 18 years old before the next election to vote
not currently be under an order of imprisonment for conviction of a felony
not currently be under a judgment of interdiction for mental incompetence

Voter registration deadline: 30 days before the election.

Warning: If you are a first-time Louisiana voter and you register to vote by mail then you must vote in person the first time you vote. You may vote during the early voting period or on election day, but you cannot vote by absentee ballot.

MAINE

To register to vote in Maine you must:

be a citizen of the United States
be a resident of Maine and the municipality in which you want to vote
be at least 17 years old (you must be 18 years old to vote)

Voter registration deadline: delivered 10 business days before the election. You may also register in-person on election day.

MARYLAND

To register to vote in Maryland you must:

Be a U.S. citizen;
Be a Maryland resident;
Be at least 18 years old by the next general election;
Not be under guardianship for mental disability;
Not have been convicted of buying or selling votes;
Not have been convicted of a felony, or if you have, you have completed serving a court ordered sentence of imprisonment, including any term of parole or probation for the conviction.

Voter registration deadline: 9:00pm 21 days before the election.

MASSACHUSETTS

To register to vote in Massachusetts you must:

be a citizen of the United States
be a resident of Massachusetts
be 18 years old on or before the next election
not have been convicted of corrupt practices in respect to elections
not be under guardianship with respect to voting
not be currently incarcerated for a felony conviction

Voter registration deadline: 20 days before the election.

MICHIGAN

To register to vote in Michigan you must:

be a citizen of the United States
be 18 years old by the next election
be a resident of Michigan and at least a 30 day resident of your city or township by election day
not be confined in a jail after being convicted and sentenced

Voter registration deadline: 30 days before the election.

Warning: If you are a first-time Michigan voter and you register to vote by mail then you must vote in person the first time you vote; you cannot vote by absentee ballot. This restriction does not apply if you personally hand deliver the mail registration form to your county, city or township clerk's office instead of mailing the form; you are 60 years of age or more; you are disabled; or you are eligible to vote under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.

Note: Michigan law requires that the same address be used for voter registration and driver license purposes. Therefore, if the residence address you provide on this form differs from the address shown on a driver license or personal identification card issued by the State of Michigan, the Secretary of State will automatically change your driver license or personal identification card address to match the residence address entered on this form. If an address change is made, the Secretary of State will mail you an address update sticker for your driver license or personal identification card.

MINNESOTA

To register to vote in Minnesota you must:

be at least 18 years old on election day
be a citizen of the United States
have resided in Minnesota for 20 days immediately preceding election day
have any felony conviction record discharged, expired, or completed
not be under court-ordered guardianship where a court has revoked your voting rights
have not been ruled legally incompetent by a court of law

Voter registration deadline: There is none. You can register on election day by submitting your registration with your ballot . If you register on election day, you'll need to show proof of residency. You can find the requirements on the Minnesota Secretary of State website.

MISSISSIPPI

To register to vote in Mississippi you must:

be a citizen of the United States
have lived in Mississippi and in your county (and city, if applicable) 30 days before the election in which you want to vote
be 18 years old by the time of the general election in which you want to vote
have not been convicted of murder, rape, bribery, theft, arson, obtaining money or goods under false pretense, perjury, forgery, embezzlement, armed robbery, extortion, felony bad check, felony shoplifting, larceny, receiving stolen property, robbery, timber larceny, unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, statutory rape, carjacking, or bigamy, or have had your rights restored as required by law
not have been declared mentally incompetent by a court

Voter registration deadline: 30 days before the election.

MISSOURI

To register to vote in Missouri you must:

be a citizen of the United States
be a resident of Missouri
be at least 17-1/2 years of age (you must be 18 to vote)
not be on probation or parole after conviction of a felony, until finally discharged from such probation or parole
not be convicted of a felony or misdemeanor connected with the right of suffrage
not be adjudged incapacitated by any court of law
not be confined under a sentence of imprisonment

Voter registration deadline: 28 days before the election.

MONTANA

To register to vote in Montana you must:

be a citizen of the United States
be at least 18 years old on or before the election
be a resident of Montana and of the county in which you want to vote for at least 30 days before the
next election
not be in a penal institution for a felony conviction
not currently be determined by a court to be of unsound mind
meet these qualifications by the next election day if you do not currently meet them

Voter registration deadline: 30 days before the election.

NEBRASKA

To register to vote in Nebraska you must:

be a citizen of the United States
be a resident of Nebraska
be at least 18 years of age or will be 18 years of age on or before the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November
not have been convicted of a felony, or if convicted, have had your civil rights restored
not have been officially found to be mentally incompetent

Voter registration deadline: Postmarked the third Friday before the election (by mail); delivered by 6 p.m. on the second Friday before the election (in person).

NEVADA

To register to vote in Nevada you must:

be a citizen of the United States
have attained the age of 18 years on the date of the next election
have continuously resided in the State of Nevada, in your county, at least 30 days and in your precinct at least 10 days before the next election
not currently be laboring under any felony conviction or other loss of civil rights that would make it
unlawful for you to vote
not be determined by a court of law to be mentally incompetent
claim no other place as your legal residence

Voter registration deadline: 9:00 p.m. on the fifth Saturday before any primary or general election. 9:00 p.m. on the third Saturday before any recall or special election. However, if a recall or special election is held on the same day as a primary or general election, the registration closes at
9:00 p.m. on the fifth Saturday before the day for the elections.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

To register to vote in New Hampshire you must:

be a a citizen of the United States
be at least 18 years by the time of the next election
be a resident of New Hampshire
there is no minimum residency requirement. You can register to vote in New Hampshire any time after moving into the state

Voter registration deadline: received 10 days before the election. You can also register in person on election day.

Note: New Hampshire prefers that voters register in person. If this is impossible for you (because of physical disability, religious beliefs, military service, or because of temporary absence) you can call call your town/city clerk and ask them to send you a mail-in voter registration form and a voter registration affidavit (the affidavit is a legal document that states that you are registering by mail because you can't register in person). Once they mail you the documents, complete both forms in front of a notary and have the affidavit notarized. Mail both forms back to your town/city clerk.

NEW JERSEY

To register to vote in New Jersey you must:

be a citizen of the United States
be at least 18 years of age by the time of the next election
be a resident of this State and county at your address at least 30 days before the next election
not be serving a sentence or on parole or probation as the result of a conviction of any indictable offense under the laws of this or another state or of the United States

Voter registration deadline: 29 days before the election.

NEW MEXICO

To register to vote in New Mexico you must:

be a citizen of the United States
be a resident of the State of New Mexico
be 18 years of age at the time of the next election
not have been denied the right to vote by a court of law by reason of mental incapacity or felony conviction.
If you have been convicted of a felony, you may register if you have completed all conditions of probation or parole, served the entirety of a sentence or have been granted a pardon by the Governor.

Voter registration deadline: 28 days before the election.

NEW YORK

To register to vote in New York you must:

be a citizen of the United States
be a resident of the county, or of the City of New York, at least 30 days before an election
be 18 years old by December 31 of the year in which you register to vote (Note: You must be 18 years
old by the date of the general, primary, or other election in which you want to vote)
not be in jail or on parole for a felony conviction
not currently be judged incompetent by order of a court of competent judicial authority
not claim the right to vote elsewhere

Voter registration deadline: 25 days before the election.

NORTH CAROLINA

To register to vote in North Carolina you must:

be a citizen of the United States
be a resident of North Carolina and the county in which you live for at least 30 days prior to the
election
be 18 years of age by the day of the next general election
have your rights of citizenship restored if you have been convicted of a felony
not be registered or vote in any other county or state

Voter registration deadline: Postmarked 25 days before the election or received in the elections office or designated voter registration agency site by 5:00 p.m. 25 days before the election.

NORTH DAKOTA

North Dakota does not have formal voter registration. In order to vote in North Dakota, you must be:

A U.S. citizen
At least 18 years old on the day of election
A resident of North Dakota
A resident in the precinct for 30 days preceding the election.

OHIO

To register to vote in Ohio you must:

be a citizen of the United States
be a resident of Ohio
be 18 years old on or before election day. If you will be 18 on or before the day of the general election, you may vote in the primary election for candidates only.
not be convicted of a felony and currently incarcerated
not be found incompetent by a court for purposes of voting

Voter registration deadline: 30 days before the election.

OKLAHOMA

To register to vote in Oklahoma you must:

be a citizen of the United States and a resident of the State of Oklahoma
be 18 years old on or before the date of the next election
have not been convicted of a felony, for which a period of time equal to the original sentence has not expired, or for which you have not been pardoned
not now be under judgment as an incapacitated person, or a partially incapacitated person prohibited from registering to vote

Voter registration deadline: 25 days before the election.

OREGON

To register to vote in Oregon you must:

be a citizen of the United States
be a resident of Oregon
be at least 18 years old by election day

Voter registration deadline: 21 days before the election

PENNSYLVANIA

To register to vote in Pennsylvania you must:

be a citizen of the United States at least one month before the next election
be a resident of Pennsylvania and your election district at least 30 days before the election
be at least 18 years of age on the day of the next election

Voter registration deadline: 30 days before an election or primary.

RHODE ISLAND

To register to vote in Rhode Island you must:

be a citizen of the United States
be a resident of Rhode Island for 30 days preceding the next election
be 18 years old by election day
not be currently serving a felony sentence (your voting rights will be restored once you have completed the sentence, even if you are on probation or parole)
not have been lawfully judged to be mentally incompetent

Voter registration deadline: 30 days before the election.

SOUTH CAROLINA

To register to vote in South Carolina you must:

be a citizen of the United States
be at least 18 years old on or before the next election
be a resident of South Carolina, your county and precinct
not be confined in any public prison resulting from a conviction of a crime
never have been convicted of a felony or offense against the election laws, or if previously convicted, have served your entire sentence, including probation or parole, or have received a pardon for the conviction
not be under a court order declaring you mentally incompetent
claim the address on the application as your only legal place of residence and claim no other place as your legal residence

Voter registration deadline: 30 days before the election.

SOUTH DAKOTA

To register to vote in South Dakota you must:

be a citizen of the United States
reside in South Dakota
be 18 years old by the next election
not be currently serving a sentence for a felony conviction which included imprisonment, served or suspended, in an adult penitentiary system
not have been adjudged mentally incompetent by a court

Voter registration deadline: Received 15 days before the election.

TENNESSEE

To register to vote in Tennessee you must:

be a citizen of the United States
be a resident of Tennessee
be at least 18 years old on or before the next election
not have been convicted of a felony, or if convicted, have had your full rights of citizenship restored (or have received a pardon)
not be adjudicated incompetent by a court of competent jurisdiction (or have been restored to legal capacity)

Voter registration deadline: 30 days before the election.

Warning: First-time Tennessee voters who register to vote by mail cannot vote by absentee ballot. These voters must vote in person. This restriction does not apply to voters who are on the permanent absentee ballot list.

TEXAS

To register to vote in Texas you must:

be a citizen of the United States
be a resident of the county in which the application for registration is made
be at least 17 years and 10 months old (you must be 18 to vote)
not be finally convicted of a felony, or if a convicted felon, you must have fully discharged your
punishment, including any incarceration, parole, supervision, period of probation or be pardoned.
have not been declared mentally incompetent by final judgment of a court of law

Voter registration deadline: 30 days before the election.

UTAH

To register to vote in Utah you must:

be a citizen of the United States
have resided in Utah for 30 days immediately before the next election
be at least 18 years old on or before the next election
not be a convicted felon currently incarcerated for commission of a felony
not be convicted of treason or crime against the elective franchise, unless restored to civil rights
not be found to be mentally incompetent by a court of law

Voter registration deadline: 20 days before the election.

VERMONT

To register to vote in Vermont you must:

be a citizen of the United States
be a resident of Vermont
be 18 years of age on or before election day
If you are registering to vote in Vermont for the first time, you must take the Voter’s Oath. If you plan on voting in person, you can take the oath at your polling place. If you plan on registering and voting by mail, use Vermont’s voter registration form and take the oath in front of a notary. The notary must sign your form, affirming that the oath has been taken. (Note: Vermont calls the voter registration form the “Application for addition to the checklist”).
The Voter’s Oath: You solemnly swear (or affirm) that whenever you give your vote or suffrage, touching any matter that concerns the state of Vermont, you will do it so as in your conscience you shall judge will most conduce to the best good of the same, as established by the Constitution, without fear or favor of any person [Voter’s Oath, Vermont Constitution, Chapter II, Section 42]

Voter registration deadline: Delivered to the town clerk before 12:00 noon on the second Saturday before the election.

VIRGINIA

To register to vote in Virginia you must:

be a citizen of the United States
be a resident of Virginia and of the precinct in which you want to vote
be 18 years old by the next May or November general election
not have been convicted of a felony, or have had your civil rights restored
not currently be declared mentally incompetent by a court of law

Voter registration deadline: Delivered 29 days before the election.

Warning: First time Viriginia voters who register to vote by mail must vote in person the first time they vote. These voters cannot vote by absentee ballot. This restriction does not apply to full time college students; to voters on active duty military; to overseas voters; to physically disabled voters; or to voters age 65 or over. This restriction also does not apply to anyone voting a "presidential only" ballot.

WASHINGTON

To register to vote in Washington you must:

be a citizen of the United States
be a legal resident of Washington State, your county and precinct for 30 days immediately preceding the election in which you want to vote
be at least 18 years old by election day
not be convicted of infamous crime, unless restored to civil rights

Voter registration deadline: 30 days before the election (by mail); delivered in-person to the local voter registration office 15 days before the election (in person).

WEST VIRGINIA

To register to vote in West Virginia you must:

be a citizen of the United States
live in West Virginia at the above address
be 18 years old, or to vote in the primary be 17 years old and turning 18 before the general election
not be under conviction, probation, or parole for a felony, treason or election bribery
not have been judged “mentally incompetent” in a court of competent jurisdiction

Voter registration deadline: 21 days before the election.

WISCONSIN

To register to vote in Wisconsin you must:

be a citizen of the United States
be a resident of Wisconsin for at least 10 days
be 18 years old
not have been convicted of treason, felony or bribery, or if you have, your civil rights have been
restored
not have been found by a court to be incapable of understanding the objective of the electoral process
not make or benefit from a bet or wage depending on the result of an election
not have voted at any other location, if registering on election day

Voter registration deadline: Postmarked twenty days before the election (by mail); or in-person at the local voter registration office by 5:00pm one day before the election; or in-person at the polls on election day.

WYOMING

To register to vote to vote in Wyoming you must:

Be a citizen of the United States
Be an actual and physically bona fide resident of Wyoming
Be 18 years of age on the day of the next election
Not be convicted of a felony or if so, have had your rights restored by a competent authority
Not be a currently adjudicated as mentally incompetent

Voter registration deadline: Postmarked 30 days before the election. You may also register at your polling place on election day.

Note: Wyoming does not accept the National Voter Registration Form. Use the Wyoming voter registration application instead. Complete the application in front of a notary and have the form notarized. Mail the completed form to your County Clerk.

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Absentee Shenanigans

A number of partisan groups were active in the 2010 election and we expect many more to be active in 2012. Most Get Out the Vote campaigns are well-intentioned and perfectly legal. Not all groups, however, have your best interests in mind.

We urge voters to be wary of unsolicited absentee ballot applications; robocalls from groups to which you've never given your phone number; and political websites that ask for sensitive personal information without indicating who is behind the site and what they plan to do with the data they gather.

If you receive an unsolicited absentee voting application or similar form in the mail, make sure that 1) your local election official's address is correct, and 2) you always use a secure envelope to return the form.

We've posted a list of things to look out for in unsolicited mailers and an open letter to the RNC regarding these matters.