How to Register and Vote Early Before the Presidential Election

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

On November 8th, it will be time to decide a new President of the United States. If you’re not registered to vote, now’s the time to make sure you’re ready when it comes time to visit the polls. Here’s all the information you need to get it done.

Voter Registration Deadlines For Each State

We’re going to highlight this information up front because deadlines motivate people. Here are the registration deadlines for all 50 states, plus Washington D.C. (unfortunately territories like Puerto Rico cannot vote in the general election). Check your state’s deadline and make sure you’re registered before the dates below.

Alabama: October 24, 2016

Alaska: Postmarked by October 9, 2016; Email or fax received by October 9, 2016

Arizona: October 10, 2016

Arkansas: October 10, 2016

California: October 24, 2016

Colorado: October 31, 2016 (Election Day Registration available)

Connecticut: November 1, 2016 (Election Day Registration available)

Delaware: October 15, 2016

District of Columbia: October 17, 2016

Florida: October 11, 2016

Georgia: October 11, 2016

Hawaii: October 10, 2016

Idaho: October 14, 2016

Illinois: October 11, 2016 (Grace Period until November 8, 2016)

Indiana: October 11, 2016

Iowa: October 29, 2016

Kansas: October 18, 2016

Kentucky: October 11, 2016

Louisiana: October 11, 2016

Maine: Per post by October 18, 2016; Same Day Voter Registration is available

Maryland: October 18, 2016

Massachusetts: October 19, 2016

Michigan: October 11, 2016

Minnesota: October 18, 2016 (Election Day Registration is available)

Mississippi: Postmarked by October 8, 2016

Missouri: October 12, 2016

Montana: October 11, 2016

Nebraska: October 21, 2016

Nevada: October 8, 2016; October 18, 2016 if online or in-person

New Hampshire: October 29, 2016

New Jersey: October 18, 2016

New Mexico: October 11, 2016

New York: Postmarked by October 14, 2016 and received by October 19, 2016; In-person by October 14, 2016

North Carolina: October 14, 2016

North Dakota: No voter registration required

Ohio: October 11, 2016

Oklahoma: October 14, 2016

Oregon: October 18, 2016

Pennsylvania: October 11, 2016

Rhode Island: October 9, 2016

South Carolina: October 8, 2016

South Dakota: October 24, 2016

Tennessee: October 11, 2016

Texas: October 11, 2016

Utah: Post by October 11, 2016; Online or in-person by November 1, 2016

Vermont: November 2, 2016

Virginia: October 17, 2016

Washington: October 10, 2016 if by mail or online, October 31, 2016 if in-person

West Virginia: October 18, 2016

Wisconsin: Postmarked by October 19, 2016; In-person at clerk’s office thru November 4, 2016; At the polls on Election Day, November 8, 2016

Wyoming: October 24, 2016

You can find more deadlines for things like absentee voting and early in-person registration for your state at the U.S. Vote Foundation’s website here. Some states allow you to register all the way up until Election Day, while others will cut you off at least a month early. However, you’re better off registering as early as possible, as this also makes you prepared for early and/or absentee voting, which is much more convenient.

Find Your State’s Registration Rules and Get Registered

Every state has different rules for voter registration. Fortunately, Vote.org, run by non-profit advocacy group Long Distance Voter makes deciphering those rules pretty straightforward. Follow these steps:

1. Head to the Register to Vote page on Vote.org here.

2. Scroll to the section labeled “Jump directly to your state.”

3. Scroll down to read the registration guide with information on the requirements and deadlines for your state.

4. When you’re ready, fill out the form at the top of the page. This will direct you to your state’s online registration, where available, or the forms you need to fill out for mail-in registration.

If you’re concerned about handing over your data to a third-party agency, you can read Vote.org’s privacy policy here. Most of the information you’ll use to register will be part of a public voter database anyway, and Vote.org says they delete private information like your driver’s license number immediately after it’s used to determine where you need to register. Still, if you’d rather avoid the third party, you can look up your state’s registration information from the United States Election Assistance Commission here, but Vote.org is much simpler.

If you already voted in your state’s primary, you should still be registered. You can also use Vote.org to check your registration status if you’re not sure. It can’t hurt to double check, especially if you have moved since the primary or will move before the general election in November. The Brennan Center for Justice has a guide for voting after a move if you plan to relocate prior to the election.

The Difference Between Absentee and Early Voting

Once you’re registered to vote, you can look into absentee ballots or early in-person voting. Both of these methods let you cast your vote for the candidates you want without having to spend hours in line on Election Day. This makes voting super convenient and if you’re already looking into how to vote, you may as well get started on this now. Here’s what these two categories of voting mean:

Absentee Ballots: Absentee ballots are mail-in forms that allow voters to cast their votes before election day. Currently, all 50 states will send out absentee ballot forms to voters who request one, however 20 states require voters to provide an excuse for why they can’t vote on election day. You can request an absentee ballot as soon as you’re registered, though they won’t be sent out until the ballots are finalized. Again, you can check Vote.org for details on absentee voting in your state.​

Early Voting: 37 states allow you to show up in person to vote early, as long as you’re registered. No excuse is required for any of these states. The three states that use all-mail voting (Colorado, Oregon, and Washington) can also be considered “early voting,” since they already allow you to mail in your ballots ahead of time. You can find the early voting schedule for your state, as well as links to your local voting offices to find out where to vote early at Vote.org’s Early Voting Calendar here.​

The National Conference of State Legislatures has created a tool here that shows which states support which forms of absentee or early voting. Most states support both, so you have some options in how to cast your vote. We highly recommend getting your votes in early, as you can avoid long lines and the chaos of taking off work on the day when everyone else is rushing to the polls.

For the 2016 election, it’s easier than ever to register and get your vote in early. Both major political parties are holding their conventions in July to determine their presidential nominees. Once that happens, you can expect both parties (as well as any independents) to kick their campaigns up a notch, so it doesn’t hurt to be prepared.

http://lifehacker.com/how-to-register-and-vote-early-before-the-presidential-1782421609

THIS THREAD IS APOLITICAL AND MEANT TO BE INFORMATIVE ONLY. IF YOU WANT TO DEBATE FOR EITHER PARTY TAKE IT TO THE POLITICS SUB-FORUM.

The Community forum gets a lot of traffic and those of us always debating in the Politcs sub-forum are already registered to vote, but I wanted to make sure everyone was aware of how to make sure their voice was heard in this coming election. I know we have a lot of younger posters who may be new to voting and it can be a tricky process depending on your state.

Like the article suggest, I always do the absentee ballot so that I can sit down and research everything I'm voting for. Many are unaware there are several things that will be voted on besides the President. Some of these things can be worded in odd ways so that a vote for yes is actually no and so on. That's why getting registered early and getting the ballot early is essential for me.

Whether you know who you're going to vote for now or are currently undecided, make sure you take the necessary steps to ensure your voice as an AMerican citizen is heard!