So you want to vote on Election Day? Or maybe vote by post? It helps to know the rules.
The federal government sets some basic standards: U.S. citizens age 18 or older are allowed to vote. But each state may adopt additional voting requirements and restrictions. For example, many states disqualify voters who are serving a prison sentence for a felony.
Many states also require people to register to vote before Election Day so poll workers can check names off a list when people show up to vote. The majority of states also ask voters for some form of identification, so carrying ID can be important.
Here are some of the most common rules and requirements when it comes to casting a vote.
The 26th Amendment According to the Constitution, the voting age is 18 years. You must be at least that age on election day, which is November 5 this year.
States can allow people to register to vote while they are 17 years old, or in some cases 16 years old, as long as they turn 18 on Election Day.
A US law from 1996 makes it illegal for non-citizens to vote in elections for a president or members of Congress. Violators may be fined and imprisoned for up to one year. They can also be deported. When people register to vote, they affirm under penalty of perjury that they are U.S. citizens.
No state constitution explicitly allows non-citizens to vote. Many states have laws that prohibit non-residents from voting for state positions such as governor or attorney general. There are ballot measures in several states this November asking voters whether they want to explicitly add such a ban to the state constitution.
Some municipalities in California, Maryland, and Vermont, as well as the District of Columbia, allow voting by non-residents in some local elections, such as for school board and city council. In Arizona, voters must prove their citizenship to compete in local and state races.
North Dakota is the only state where people do not have to register to vote before they can vote. Elsewhere, people must register their names and addresses with election officials. That can be done in person at state or local elections offices or at state automotive offices. Many states also allow voter registrations to be sent by mail or online.
In about 20 states, people can register on Election Day and then vote immediately.
The remaining states require some form of prior registration deadlines ranging from three to thirty days before an election. Many of the states with voter registration deadlines more than two weeks before the election are in the South.
About three-quarters of states ask voters for identification at the polls. According to 21 states require photo identification such as a driver’s license or government-issued card the National Conference of State Legislatures. Fifteen additional states accept non-photo identification, such as a utility bill or bank statement showing a person’s name and address.
If voters do not have ID, they may still be able to vote. In some states, voters can sign a declaration of identity. In other states, they can cast a provisional ballot that will be counted if election workers later verify their signature or if they return later with identification.
States where ID is not required use other means to verify voters, such as signatures or asking for home addresses.
People in your absence or by post may face additional requirements, such as asking a witness to sign the envelope for their absentee ballot.
Federal law prohibits states from doing so residency requirement more than 30 days before the election. But it is up to voters to indicate the address where they live.
Students who live in one state but attend college elsewhere typically have the choice of voting at their home address or college address. But they must still meet state identification requirements. Some states do not accept student IDs as identification.
In all jurisdictions except Maine, Vermont and the nation’s capital, people convicted of crimes lose the right to vote while in prison.
In half the states it is voting restrictions due to crime According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, these extensions are extended after incarceration, often including their probation or parole. In some states, convicted felons lose their right to vote indefinitely for certain crimes.
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