The 2024 presidential election is all but here, with voters preparing to line up at the polls and election officials gearing up for a what will hopefully be a smooth count. But if you’ve yet to make a voting plan, or don’t know if you can even vote this time around, the clock hasn’t run out
Voters that were previously registered to vote in a prior election, and have not changed their name or address in the time since, should still be registered to vote and set to head into the voting booth. However, if you’re worried something might have gone wrong — or live in area that has been impacted by voter roll purges — it never hurts to check. And all you need is your full name and residential address.
Check your registration online
ICanVote
A nonpartisan federal resource ran by the National Association of Secretaries of State, ICanVote.com offers a complete guide to voter registration, ballot casting and polling locations, voter ID laws, and how to get more involved in your state’s election.
Vote.gov
Vote.gov, another nonpartisan U.S. government resource, provides extended resources for U.S. voters, including voter registration status.
Vote.org
A nonprofit, nonpartisan voter registration initiative, Vote.org offers voter registration assistance, including ballot guides, election reminders, and notices for voters who may have been impacted or displaced by recent weather events.
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Vote411
Vote411 is a nongovernmental website ran by the League of Women Voters, offering a variety of voter resources. Individuals can use their interactive map to check their registration status by location, which automatically redirects visitors to their state’s election website.
Check your registration in-person
If you cannot access your voter registration status online, call or visit your local election office.
What does it mean if my status is ‘inactive’?
To keep their voter registration lists as up to date as possible, states may mark registered voters who have not voted in the last two general elections (midterm and presidential, included) as “inactive.” This can also happen to voters who have repeatedly failed to respond to mail sent to them by election officials.
If a voter’s status is still marked “inactive” when they go to a polling site on election day, they may be asked to cast a provincial ballot until their registration is verified post-election day. To reactivate their status, voters must update their registration by contacting your state or local election office. Find out more on the National Association of Secretaries of State website.
Can I register to vote on election day?
Each state has different deadlines to register to vote — and the deadlines may still vary for online and in-person registration. In some U.S. states and territories, voters have options to register online or at their polling places on election day and cast a ballot.
California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and the District of Columbia offer a form of day-of registration. North Dakota does not register voters, making any resident eligible to vote.
