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Voting
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Voting
Can someone help me vote if I have a disability?Background reading
Background reading
Yes. You can ask for accessible equipment and help. A person helping you vote cannot be your employer or union representative.
Contact your election office about the accommodation you need. Poll workers can help with accessible equipment.
This is background information, not a state-specific answer. Legal review pending.
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Can I ask for help voting in another language?Background reading
Background reading
Yes. Ask your local election office what language support is available, such as translated materials or someone to help interpret.
This is background information, not a state-specific answer. Legal review pending.
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What ID do I need to vote?Background reading
Background reading
Your state sets its voter ID rules. Check your state election office before you go; there is no single nationwide list of acceptable IDs.
This is background information, not a state-specific answer. Legal review pending.
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What if my name is missing from the voter list?Background reading
Background reading
Ask a poll worker to check your registration and polling place. In most states, you can request a provisional ballot in a federal election if you say you are registered and eligible.
This is background information, not a state-specific answer. Legal review pending.
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Someone is threatening people at my polling place. Where can I report it?Federal rule · specific setting
Federal rule · specific setting
For this situationSuspected intimidation or interference with voting in a US election.
You can report suspected voter intimidation to DOJ’s Voting Section at 800-253-3931 or through its civil-rights reporting form.
What to do next
- Move to a safer position and alert a poll supervisor if you can.
- Note the location, time, exact conduct and witnesses without confronting anyone.
- Report to the Voting Section and keep the reference number if provided.
What could change this answer?
- An ordinary registration question or disagreement is not necessarily intimidation.
- Registration and ballot problems may also need the local election office’s immediate help.
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Federal rule. State or local protections may add to it. Legal review pending.
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I missed California’s regular voter-registration deadline. Can I still register and vote?Background reading
Background reading
Choose California to read this local rule and its limits.
This is background information, not a state-specific answer. Legal review pending.
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California law
For this situationA person eligible to register and vote in California who missed the regular registration deadline or needs to update registration.
Eligible voters can use Same Day Voter Registration during the 14 days before an election and on Election Day at an available county elections office, polling place or vote center.
What to do next
- Use the Secretary of State’s same-day registration page to find your county election office and participating locations.
- Check the location’s dates and hours, then go in person before voting closes.
- Tell the election worker you need Same Day Voter Registration. Complete the registration and ballot steps and keep any tracking information provided.
What could change this answer?
- Available locations and hours vary by county and election; an online registration alone does not complete this late-registration process.
- Same-day registration does not waive citizenship, residence, age or other voter-eligibility requirements.
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Applies only to the setting described in this guide. Legal review pending.
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Can an eligible DC voter register at the polls after missing advance registration?Background reading
Background reading
Choose the District of Columbia to read this local rule and its limits.
This is background information, not a state-specific answer. Legal review pending.
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District of Columbia law
For this situationA US citizen who will be at least 18 for the general election, has lived in DC at least 30 days before the election, and meets the Board of Elections’ other registration requirements.
Yes. Eligible residents can register in person during early voting or on Election Day by providing accepted proof of residence showing their name and current DC address.
What to do next
- Check the DC Board of Elections registration page for eligibility and the current voting locations and hours.
- Bring accepted proof with your name and current DC address, such as a current lease or a utility bill or bank statement issued within 90 days before the election.
- Tell the election worker you need same-day registration, complete the application and follow the ballot instructions.
What could change this answer?
- A qualifying government-issued photo ID showing your current address is another accepted proof option.
- You must not claim voting residence elsewhere. Party-primary and noncitizen local-election rules are outside this guide.
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Applies only to the setting described in this guide. Legal review pending.
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Which form can an eligible military or overseas voter use to register and request an absentee ballot together?Federal rule · specific setting
Federal rule · specific setting
For this situationEligible US military voters, qualifying family members and US citizens residing overseas using UOCAVA procedures.
The Federal Post Card Application, or FPCA, combines registration and an absentee-ballot request.
What to do next
- Select your voting state in FVAP’s guide and read its current instructions.
- Complete and sign the FPCA with separate voting-residence and delivery addresses.
- Send it by an accepted method and confirm receipt with the local election office.
What could change this answer?
- Moving or changing a delivery address can require an updated request.
- Citizens who have never lived in the US must check specific state eligibility rules.
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Federal rule. State or local protections may add to it. Legal review pending.
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My military or overseas absentee ballot has not arrived. Is there a backup?Federal rule · specific setting
Federal rule · specific setting
For this situationAn eligible UOCAVA voter whose requested regular ballot may not arrive in time.
Eligible voters can use the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot, or FWAB, when there is insufficient time to receive and return the regular ballot.
What to do next
- Contact the election office about the missing ballot and confirm your request status.
- Use FVAP’s FWAB instructions for your voting state.
- Sign and return the backup ballot through a permitted channel before the applicable deadline.
What could change this answer?
- State law controls which additional offices may appear on a FWAB.
- A regular ballot received later can still be returned under the official backup procedure.
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Federal rule. State or local protections may add to it. Legal review pending.
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Should I return my regular absentee ballot if I already sent a federal write-in backup?Federal rule · specific setting
Federal rule · specific setting
For this situationA military or overseas voter who already submitted a FWAB and then receives the official ballot.
Yes. FVAP instructs eligible voters to complete and return the regular ballot too; only one ballot will be counted.
What to do next
- Complete the official ballot using the election office’s instructions.
- Return it by the state’s applicable deadline and method.
- Keep records of both submissions and ask the election office how it tracks the regular ballot replacing the backup.
What could change this answer?
- The regular ballot must still meet the applicable return rules.
- A different duplicate-ballot situation needs direct election-office guidance.
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Federal rule. State or local protections may add to it. Legal review pending.
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Can an overseas US voter use the last US residence even after the home was sold?Federal rule · specific setting
Federal rule · specific setting
For this situationA US citizen living abroad who previously established a US domicile.
For an overseas citizen previously domiciled in the US, the voting residence generally remains the last US domicile before leaving, even without current property ties.
What to do next
- Identify the last address where you were domiciled before leaving the country.
- List it as the voting residence and use the separate mailing field for ballot delivery.
- Ask the local election office for help if the address no longer exists or cannot be located.
What could change this answer?
- Never-resident citizens face state-specific rules.
- Claiming a genuinely new domicile can raise issues beyond ballot delivery.
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Federal rule. State or local protections may add to it. Legal review pending.
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Can a military spouse use the military absentee-voting process while away from the voting residence?Federal rule · specific setting
Federal rule · specific setting
For this situationAn eligible US-citizen military family voter absent from the voting residence because of military service.
An eligible spouse or family member accompanying a service member away from the voting residence may use the military absentee process.
What to do next
- Confirm the voting residence and eligibility using FVAP’s state guide.
- Complete your own FPCA and supply the current ballot-delivery address.
- Track receipt and use the FWAB backup procedure if the regular ballot will not arrive in time.
What could change this answer?
- Residence rules for a spouse can differ from a child’s situation.
- State and local contests can have different eligibility details from federal contests.
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Federal rule. State or local protections may add to it. Legal review pending.
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I forgot my ID at a Virginia polling place. Can I still cast a regular ballot?Background reading
Background reading
Choose VA for this jurisdiction’s answer.
This is background information, not a state-specific answer. Legal review pending.
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Virginia law
For this situationIn-person Virginia voting when an otherwise eligible voter lacks acceptable ID.
Generally, you may sign an ID Confirmation Statement affirming your identity and cast a regular ballot.
What to do next
- Tell the election officer you lack acceptable ID and ask about the confirmation statement.
- Confirm whether the federal first-time-voter ID requirement applies to you.
- If a provisional ballot is necessary, take the written instructions and meet any document deadline.
What could change this answer?
- Refusing both acceptable ID and the statement leads to provisional voting.
- Federal first-time-voter documentation can include specified nonphoto records.
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Applies only to the setting described in this guide. Legal review pending.
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Can I vote from my vehicle in Virginia because of age or disability?Background reading
Background reading
Choose VA for this jurisdiction’s answer.
This is background information, not a state-specific answer. Legal review pending.
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Virginia law
For this situationEligible Virginia voters seeking curbside voting because of age or disability.
Yes. Voters age 65 or older, or voters with a disability, may receive a ballot at their vehicle at the polling place or early-voting location.
What to do next
- Check your correct voting location and its curbside instructions.
- Use the posted signal or have someone alert an election officer.
- Complete check-in and ballot instructions with the officers while preserving the privacy of your choices.
What could change this answer?
- The age and disability categories are alternatives.
- Accessible equipment inside is another option if you prefer it.
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Applies only to the setting described in this guide. Legal review pending.
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I marked the wrong choice on a Virginia ballot but have not cast it. Can I start again?Background reading
Background reading
Choose VA for this jurisdiction’s answer.
This is background information, not a state-specific answer. Legal review pending.
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Virginia law
For this situationA Virginia voter correcting an uncast in-person ballot.
Yes. Ask an election officer for a new ballot before you cast the mistaken one.
What to do next
- Stop before inserting or submitting the ballot.
- Tell an election officer that you need a replacement without disclosing your choices.
- Follow the spoiled-ballot procedure and review the replacement carefully before casting it.
What could change this answer?
- A mistake noticed after casting has different consequences.
- Mail-ballot replacement requires contacting the election office through its separate process.
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Can I attend the Virginia electoral board meeting that decides my provisional ballot?Background reading
Background reading
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Virginia law
For this situationA Virginia voter who has cast a provisional ballot.
Yes. You may attend the review, and you should receive notice of its time and place and any required-document deadline.
What to do next
- Keep the provisional notice and identify why the ballot was provisional.
- Submit any requested eligible documentation by the deadline on the notice.
- Contact the registrar to confirm the review meeting and attend if you want to present relevant information.
What could change this answer?
- Different provisional reasons require different follow-up.
- The board determines eligibility; appearing alone does not guarantee counting.
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Can I register to vote in California while on parole after prison?Background reading
Background reading
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California law
For this situationA California resident with a prior felony conviction who is now on parole.
Yes, if otherwise eligible. Parole does not disqualify a California voter; currently serving a state or federal prison term for a felony does.
What to do next
- Confirm you are no longer serving a disqualifying prison term.
- Register or re-register at your current home address through the Secretary of State or county elections office.
- Check your registration and ballot arrangements before the election.
What could change this answer?
- US citizenship, age and other eligibility conditions still apply.
- Detention categories differ, so verify whether a particular custody situation is a prison term covered by the rule.
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Can I fix a missing or mismatched signature on my California ballot envelope?Background reading
Background reading
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California law
For this situationA California voter notified of a missing or noncomparable ballot-envelope signature.
Yes. Use your county’s signature-verification or unsigned-ballot statement procedure and meet the applicable receipt deadline.
What to do next
- Verify the notice through your county elections office or the Secretary of State’s official cure page.
- Complete the correct statement and provide your own signature.
- Return it by an accepted method before the stated deadline and confirm the ballot’s updated status.
What could change this answer?
- Different counties can provide different submission instructions.
- A signature cure does not resolve unrelated eligibility or late-ballot issues.
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Does California’s Remote Accessible Vote-by-Mail system let me cast my vote online?Background reading
Background reading
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California law
For this situationA California voter using an authorized Remote Accessible Vote-by-Mail system.
No. RAVBM lets you mark selections with compatible technology, but you must print and return the ballot as instructed.
What to do next
- Request access through your county elections office and use its official system.
- Mark privately with your compatible assistive technology and print the completed ballot.
- Place it in the required return envelope, sign as instructed and return it through an authorized method by the deadline.
What could change this answer?
- A missing return envelope requires a replacement from the county.
- Military and overseas electronic-return rules are a separate process.
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Can I register in Maryland after completing imprisonment for a felony?Background reading
Background reading
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Maryland law
For this situationA Maryland resident who has completed imprisonment for a federal, state or out-of-state felony.
Yes, if otherwise eligible. Maryland restores registration eligibility after the court-ordered sentence of imprisonment is completed.
What to do next
- Confirm that the court-ordered imprisonment has ended.
- Submit or update voter registration with the local board or Maryland’s online system.
- Check acceptance and ask the local board about any uncertainty before voting.
What could change this answer?
- A new current felony imprisonment can change eligibility.
- Citizenship, residence, age and a qualifying court determination about voting capacity remain relevant.
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May a 17-year-old vote in a Maryland Democratic or Republican primary?Background reading
Background reading
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Maryland law
For this situationA 17-year-old Maryland registrant seeking to vote in a Democratic or Republican primary.
Yes, if registered with that party and turning 18 by the corresponding general election.
What to do next
- Check your eighteenth birthday against the general-election date.
- Confirm registration and the relevant party affiliation with the election board.
- Use the assigned polling place or an available voting method and resolve any eligibility question with the local board.
What could change this answer?
- Party affiliation affects participation in a partisan primary.
- An election without the qualifying birthday timeline presents a different rule.
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Does incarceration for a felony prevent an otherwise eligible DC voter from voting?Background reading
Background reading
Choose DC for this jurisdiction’s answer.
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District of Columbia law
For this situationAn otherwise eligible DC voter in a jail, prison, halfway house or under court supervision.
No. DC permits otherwise eligible voters to vote while incarcerated, regardless of the offense.
What to do next
- Contact the DC Board of Elections to confirm registration and the appropriate DC voting address.
- Provide the facility’s current mailing details and arrange an absentee ballot.
- Update the mailing address promptly after transfer or release and follow the Board’s instructions if the ballot has not arrived.
What could change this answer?
- DC Jail residents may use its address after at least 30 days there under Board guidance.
- A voter in a federal facility may use the DC home address, with the facility used for delivery.
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What should I note if I have a problem voting?Background reading
Background reading
Start with polling place and date; notices or official communications; your account of the issue.
Keep your own observations separate from what someone told you. These are preparation steps, not a finding about your rights or eligibility.
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These guides cover the situations they name. They are source-checked drafts, not a complete state law library or a lawyer’s review. County rules are not inferred from your state.
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