Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
U.S. Election
Assistance
Commission
FACTS
About Voting in Federal Elections
From registering to vote through casting a ballot on election day, informed voters are empowered voters. Here are
answers to 14 common questions from citizens about voting in Federal elections.
Voter’s Checklist—
Am I Eligible
1
In Person
Things To Do Before Election Day
To Vote? Apply to register to vote at—
� Confirm you are registered to vote several � State or local voter registration
weeks before election day. You are eligible to vote if—
or election offices.
� You are a U.S. citizen.
� Update your registration if your address, � The department of motor
name, or political affiliation has changed. � You meet your State’s residen- vehicles.
cy requirements.
� Know how and when to apply for an absentee � Public assistance agencies.
ballot if you are unable to vote at your polling � You are 18 years old. Some
� Armed services recruitment
place on election day. States allow 17-year-olds to
centers.
vote in primaries and/or reg-
� Know your options for early voting. ister to vote if they will be 18 � State-funded programs that
before the general election. serve people with disabilities.
� Know the voter identification requirements in
your State. � Any public facility that a State
has designated as a voter
How Do I Register
� Know your polling place and how to get there.
� Familiarize yourself with the voting device
2 To Vote?
registration agency.
Online
used in your jurisdiction. Learn how the device You may choose to apply for
is accessible to voters with disabilities. � To learn if your State offers on-
voter registration by mail, in line voter registration, contact
person, or online. your State or local election office.
� Learn what assistance is available in languages
other than English. By Mail
� Download the National Mail When Should I
3
� Know what time the polls open and close.
Voter Registration Form
� Become acquainted with the candidates and (NMVRF) from http://www.
Register To Vote?
issues on the ballot. eac.gov/NVRA. You can also Find out your State’s registration
find NMVRF and State voter deadline—
� Consider becoming a poll worker in your com- registration forms at libraries,
munity. Call your local election office to learn public schools, and city and � Access the “State Instructions”
more. county clerks’ offices. section of the NMVRF, at
� Complete the form and submit http://www.eac.gov/NVRA.
it by mail according to the � Contact your State or local
instructions. The NMVRF has election office.
RemembeR a “State Instructions” section
that lists the requirements for � Many States have online tools
For more information about State- each State. where you can check your
specific requirements and eligibility, � North Dakota, Wyoming, and registration status.
contact your State or local election the U.S. territories American
offices or consult The National Mail Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico,
Voter Registration Form. See the
RemembeR
and the U.S. Virgin Islands
Voter’s Resources section at the end do not accept the NMVRF.
of this guide for contact and other New Hampshire accepts the Contact your State or local election
information. form only as a request for a office at least 7 weeks before an
State absentee voter mail-in election to learn if you are registered
registration form. to vote and what to do if you are not.
Asking well before the registration
deadline allows sufficient time to
register.
14 Facts About Voting in Federal Elections
2
8
that shows your name and � Some States allow you to cast What Is Provisional
address. an absentee ballot only if you
cannot vote at the polling place Voting?
You may not have to show proof for a reason outlined in State If your eligibility to vote in a
of identification if— law, such as illness or physical Federal election is in question,
absence from the jurisdiction you must be offered a provisional
� You provided copies of the
for a certain number of hours ballot at the polling place. The
proof of identification with your
on election day. possible reasons include—
voter registration form.
� Other States offer “no-excuse” � Your name does not appear
� Your State or local election
absentee voting, which allows on the official voter list at your
official matched the driver’s
any eligible citizen to cast an polling place.
license number or Social Secu-
absentee ballot.
rity information on your appli-
� Your eligibility is challenged in
cation with a Federal or State � States also have different dead- accordance with State law.
identification record bearing lines for requesting and submit-
the same number, name, and ting absentee ballots. Contact � You did not provide the re-
date of birth. your State or local election office. quired identification to regis-
ter or at the polling place on
� You are entitled by Federal law � You are entitled by Federal law election day.
to vote by absentee ballot. to vote by absentee ballot in
Federal elections if you meet � A court order requires provi-
qualifications outlined in the sional ballots.
RemembeR Voting Rights Act, Uniformed
and Overseas Citizens Ab- � A court order extends polling
sentee Voting Act, and Voting place hours.
Even if you met the Federal proof-of-
identification requirement when you Accessibility for the Elderly � State law mandates provisional
registered, some States may require and Handicapped Act. ballots.
identification at the polling place.
You are eligible to cast a provisional You have a right to cast a provi-
ballot if you do not have sufficient
RemembeR sional ballot if you declare you are
identification at the polling place. eligible and registered to vote in
Contact your State or local election After you have received your ab- that jurisdiction. Your provisional
office for more information. sentee ballot, read the instructions ballot will be counted if the State
carefully. Sign your name where it is or local election official later deter-
required. If you return your absentee mines that you were eligible and
ballot by mail, be certain to put suf- registered to vote under State law.
What Is Early
5 Voting?
ficient postage to the return envelope.
RemembeR
Some States might allow you to
cast a ballot before election day Where Do I Vote—
at—
� A jurisdiction’s election office.
7 Where Is My Polling
Place?
Federal law requires States to pro-
vide a “free access system” by toll-
free number and/or the Internet for
� Another designated polling you to check the status of your pro-
� You are assigned to a polling visional ballot. Contact your State
place.
place based on the home ad- or local election office for more in-
� A ballot drop site. dress on your voter registration formation about your State’s system.
record.
14 Facts About Voting in Federal Elections
3
ALABAMA COLORADO
(800) 274–8683 (303) 894–2200
http://www.sos.state.al.us/elections http://www.elections.colorado.gov
ALASKA CONNECTICUT
(907) 465–4611 (860) 509–6100
http://www.elections.alaska.gov http://www.ct.gov/sots
AMERICAN SAMOA DELAWARE
(684) 699–3570 (302) 739–4277
http://www.americansamoaelectionoffice. http://www.elections.delaware.gov
org
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
ARIZONA (866) DC–VOTES
(602) 542–8683 http://www.dcboee.org
http://www.azsos.gov/election
FLORIDA
ARKANSAS (866) 308–6739
(800) 482–1127 http://election.dos.state.fl.us
http://www.sosweb.state.ar.us/elections
GEORGIA
CALIFORNIA (404) 656–2871
(800) 345–VOTE http://www.sos.ga.gov/elections
http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections
14 Facts About Voting in Federal Elections
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August 2014