It’s October 11, less than a month from the presidential elections on November 8. This is a big one. Are you registered to vote?
Maybe this is your first election, or maybe you’re in college and not currently living in your home state. Whatever your situation, you need to be registered to vote next month. Don’t just assume that because you went to the DMV five years ago to get a license that you’re still registered — especially if you’re out-of-state.
Registration deadlines — as well as I.D. requirements — vary by state, as do registration methods. In some states, you can register online, while in others you must do so by mail or in-person at the City or County Clerk’s office. (Only thirteen states allow same-day registration at the polls.)
TODAY, October 11th, is a very common deadline, and applies for these states: Michigan, Ohio, Texas, Montana, Tennessee, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, and Louisiana. And as the month goes on, deadlines for more and more states will start to pop up.
(Check out handy guide from the New York Times for pertinent deadlines.)
So if you haven’t already, it’s time to get cracking:
- Check to see if/where you’re registered using this handy tool from vote.org: https://www.vote.org/am-i-registered-to-vote/
- If you’re already registered, great! Locate your polling place.
- If you aren’t, register! Use this from the Election Assistance Commission to see if you can register online, and if you can’t, to print off an application to mail. (For mail-in applications, the deadline is usually a postmark, so get to the post office ASAP!)
Then, by all means, VOTE!
