How to Check If You’re Registered to Vote in Any State
The November presidential election may seem like a century away, but it’s never too early to come up with a voting plan, especially in light of the news that Ohio has deleted 155,000 inactive and outdated voter registrations . In other words, now is the time to check your voter registration status. Even if you think you are registered, check. Check early and check often. Here’s how to do it.
Why you should check your registration information
Before you request an absentee ballot or look up your polling place address, your first step is to take a moment and make sure you are, in fact, registered to vote. States try to keep their voter registration lists as accurate as possible. This means deleting the registrations of voters who are no longer residents or marking some registrations as inactive.
You may be marked as inactive if you:
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Do not respond to postcards or letters from election officials and
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Did not vote in the last two general federal elections (midterm and presidential elections)
If your registration is inactive, you may have to take additional steps before you can vote. If you don’t, you may have to take a provisional vote.
Pre-checking and updating (if necessary) your registration ensures:
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Your name, address and party affiliation are current.
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You have time to make any necessary changes if your registration is marked as inactive.
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You can vote.
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You know the correct polling station.
The easiest way to check if you’re registered to vote
Although there are many sites that offer to check if you are registered, many of them are run by political organizations and also hijack your email address and start sending you those terrible political spam messages. To avoid this headache, your best bet is to go to the source: either your state’s official website or vote.gov .
The easiest way to get to your state’s official page is to search “Am I registered to vote” on Google. Using your location data, Google will display a direct link to your state’s voter registration site. If you’re not in your home state, search for “Am I registered to vote in [state]” instead. Once you go to your state’s website, enter your name, address, and any other required information (you may need to have your driver’s license or ID on hand) to double-check your registration status, party affiliation, and voting preferences.
What happens next
If you find that you are already registered and listed as an active voter, you are ready to vote. But if you haven’t voted in four years or more, your voting status may be listed as “inactive.” If this happens, checkyour state’s board of elections website to find out how to reactivate your voting status (the process varies by state).
Remember: Registration requirements and deadlines vary by state. This information can be found from the US Vote Foundation oryour state or territory elections office . Check early and regularly, especially before such an important election.