(Getty)
If you aren’t registered to vote but are still hoping to do so on November 8, you aren’t completely out of luck. There are 11 states that allow for same-day voter registration. Three more states have approved measures that will allow for same-day voter registration in future elections, but not for the 2016 General Election.
As the National Confederation of State Legislatures notes, Maine, Minnesota and Wisconsin have had same-day voting registration since the 1970s. Maine was first to enact it in 1973, followed by Minnesota in the following year. Another wave of states – Idaho, New Hampshire and Wyoming – added same-day registration in the 1990s.
California, Hawaii and Vermont have passed laws to enact same-day voter registration, but they are not in effect for the 2016 Presidential election. Maryland and Ohio only have same-day voter registration during the early voting periods. North Carolina voters were also only allowed to register to vote on the same day as they cast ballots during the early voting period.
To see if you are already registered to vote, click here to use Vote.Org. You will need your address, birthrate and email address. To find our where your polling place is and where you can register to vote, click here to use the Voter Information Project tool and enter your address.
In addition to the following states, voters in Washington, D.C. can register to vote on November 8.
- Colorado – To register to vote in Colorado, you are not required to bring a Colorado ID or diver’s license, but you need it the first time you vote. You also must be a Colorado resident for at least 22 days before voting.
- Connecticut – To register to vote in Connecticut on November 8, you must bring an ID and proof of residency.
- Idaho – To register to vote in Idaho on November 8, you must bring an ID and proof of residency.
- Illinois – To register to vote in Illinois, you must have been a resident of the state for at least 30 days prior to election day. You also need at least two forms of identification, with one that has your Illinois address.
- Iowa – Iowa requires a photo ID, which does not necessarily have to be a driver’s license. You also need a proof of residence if your photo ID does not include your address.
- Maine – In Maine, you must have proof of residence in Maine.
- Minnesota – For Minnesota, you need proof that you have lived in the state for at least 20 days prior to election day.
- Montana – Montana requires you to have proof that you have lived in the state for at least 30 days before the election.
- New Hampshire – New Hampshire voters are required to show proof of residence, but there is no minimum time period for living in the state.
- Wisconsin – The state of Wisconsin does require a driver’s license or ID card, as well as proof of residence.
- Wyoming – In Wyoming, you need a Wyoming Driver’s License or the last four digits of your Social Security Number.
