How to vote

Before you vote

Get your record right first. Everything else depends on it.

• Register to vote How registration works and where to complete it officially.
• Check your registration Confirm your record with the official state lookup.
• Update your name or address What to update after a move or a name change, and where.

Choose how you will vote

Most jurisdictions offer more than one method, each with its own deadlines.

• Vote early How early voting terminology and rules differ by jurisdiction.
• Vote by mail Request, delivery, return, postmark, receipt, and cure steps.
• Find your polling place Official lookups for in-person voting locations and hours.
• Find your sample ballot Where official sample ballots come from and how to read one.

Rules and help

What to bring, what to do if something goes wrong, and how to get assistance.

• Voter identification How identification rules vary and where each list is published.
• Provisional ballots What a provisional ballot is and what happens after you cast one.
• Accessible voting Accessible registration, equipment, and help from election officials.
• Language help Official election materials in languages other than English.
• Military and overseas voting Federal absentee routes for service members and citizens abroad.

Go to your jurisdiction

Rules differ in all fifty states, the District of Columbia, and the territories. The directory below links the election authority that publishes the official rules where you live.

Open the full directory