Voter preregistration guide
Voter preregistration lets you send in a voter registration application before you turn 18, so that you are already on the roll when you become eligible to vote.
This is the guide we publish for students who are 16 and 17. It says what preregistration is, when your state lets you do it, and the ten steps from finding the official form to checking your record after your birthday. Rules differ by state and they change, so check yours at Vote.gov or with your state election office before you apply.
What preregistration is
Your application is generally held in a pending or preregistered status. When you reach your state’s voting age, the registration becomes active, provided that the information is still accurate and you still meet the eligibility requirements.
Preregistering does not usually let you vote before you are 18. Some states do allow 17 year olds to vote in a primary election if they will turn 18 by the corresponding general election, and a few cities have special rules that let younger residents take part in certain local elections.
Is there a separate federal process?
No. There is no separate registration system for federal elections. You register through your state or local election authority, and once that registration is active it generally lets you vote in:
- Presidential elections;
- Elections for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives;
- State elections; and
- County, city, school board and other local elections.
Before you start
1. Check your state’s minimum registration age
Every state sets its own age. Find yours below. The age 16 rules are as of July 2026.
| State or district | When you can preregister |
|---|---|
| Alaska | Within 90 days before your 18th birthday |
| California | Age 16 |
| Delaware | Age 16 |
| District of Columbia | Age 16 |
| Florida | Age 16 |
| Georgia | Age 17 years and 6 months |
| Hawaii | Age 16 |
| Illinois | Age 16 |
| Iowa | Age 17 |
| Louisiana | Age 16 |
| Maine | Age 16 |
| Maryland | Age 16 |
| Massachusetts | Age 16 |
| Michigan | Age 16 |
| Minnesota | Age 16 |
| Missouri | Age 17 years and 6 months |
| Nevada | Age 17 |
| New Jersey | Age 17 |
| New York | Age 16 |
| North Carolina | Age 16 |
| Oklahoma | Age 17 years and 6 months |
| Oregon | Age 16 |
| Rhode Island | Age 16 |
| Texas | Age 17 years and 10 months |
| Utah | Age 16 |
| Virginia | Age 16 |
| Washington | Age 16 |
| West Virginia | Age 17, generally, if you will be 18 by the next general election |
If your state is not on this list, check your state’s official election website, or find it through Vote.gov. Many states let you register before 18 only if you will turn 18 by the next qualifying election, and the wording differs from state to state.
North Dakota does not require voter registration at all. You still have to meet North Dakota’s eligibility requirements before you vote.
State laws change. Confirm the current rule through Vote.gov or your state’s official election office before you submit an application or run a registration drive.
Applying
2. Confirm that you are eligible
The exact requirements vary, but you generally have to:
- Be a United States citizen;
- Live in the state where you are applying;
- Meet your state’s minimum preregistration age;
- Give a valid residential address;
- Meet your state’s rules on criminal convictions and voting eligibility; and
- Not be otherwise legally disqualified from registering.
A lawful permanent resident, visa holder or other person who is not a U.S. citizen must not register for federal elections.
3. Find the official registration website
- Go to Vote.gov. Start there rather than at a search engine.
- Select your state or territory.
- Read the state’s eligibility and age requirements.
- Follow the link to the state’s official voter registration website.
Use an official government website whenever you can. Official state election websites generally end in “.gov”.
4. Choose how to apply
Depending on your state, you may be able to preregister online, by mail or in person.
Online. Most states offer online voter registration. You may need a state driver’s license or identification card number to finish the whole thing electronically.
By mail. You can download your state’s voter registration form or the National Mail Voter Registration Form. The national form has to be filled in according to the instructions for your state, has to be signed, and has to be mailed to the address listed for the right state or local election office. It cannot be used in New Hampshire, North Dakota, Wisconsin or Wyoming. Before you use it, check that you have reached the minimum registration age your state allows.
In person. Registration may be available at state or local election offices, departments of motor vehicles, public assistance agencies, armed forces recruitment offices, public libraries, high schools, college campuses, or approved voter registration events. Which of these are open to you varies by state.
5. Get your information ready
The application may ask for:
- Your full legal name;
- Your date of birth;
- Your residential address;
- A mailing address, if it is different;
- Your state driver’s license or identification card number;
- The last four digits of your Social Security number;
- Previous registration information, if you have any;
- A political party preference; and
- A signature or an electronic attestation.
Use your real residential address, even if you get your mail somewhere else. If you do not have a traditional residential address, ask your local election office how to fill that part in. Never enter false information, and never sign an application for someone else.
6. Choose a party, if your state asks
Some state applications ask you to select a political party. You can generally pick a recognized party, pick no party or unaffiliated status, or leave the selection blank where the state allows it.
Your party registration can affect which primary election ballot you receive. It does not require you to support that party’s candidates in a general election.
7. Review, sign and submit
Before you send it, check that:
- Your name is spelled correctly;
- Your date of birth is accurate;
- The residential and mailing addresses are correct;
- The citizenship question is answered accurately;
- The identification information is complete;
- The party selection is the one you meant; and
- The application is signed where a signature is required.
An unsigned paper application may be rejected or sent back to you for correction.
After you apply
8. Confirm that the application was processed
- Save the submission confirmation, or take a screenshot of it.
- Watch for a confirmation letter, card or email from the election office.
- Use your state’s official registration status tool to check the record.
- Contact your local election office if no confirmation arrives.
The U.S. Election Assistance Commission does not hold individual voter registrations. Questions about an application go to your state or local election office.
9. Keep your information current
Before you turn 18, update the registration if you move to a new address, change your legal name, change your mailing address, or change your party preference.
Out of date information may stop the registration activating correctly, or send your election materials to the wrong address.
10. Check the registration again after you turn 18
Preregistration often becomes active on its own, but check the record anyway. After your birthday:
- Check your registration status on your state’s official election website.
- Confirm the registered address.
- Confirm your party affiliation, if you chose one.
- Find the next election and its registration deadline.
- Check the voter identification requirements.
- Find your polling place, or your vote by mail options.
A special rule for some 17 year olds
Some states and the District of Columbia let a 17 year old vote in a primary election when the person will turn 18 by the corresponding general election.
Preregistration and primary eligibility are two separate questions. Being preregistered does not by itself mean you may vote in a primary, so check your own state’s rule before you try.
Before you submit
All ten of these should be true.
- I checked my state’s minimum registration age.
- I am a United States citizen.
- I used my correct legal name and date of birth.
- I entered my current residential address.
- I used an official state or federal government resource.
- I reviewed the application before signing.
- I saved my submission confirmation.
- I will check my registration status after processing.
- I will update the registration if I move or change my name.
- I understand that preregistration normally does not let me vote before I become eligible.
Check the current rules with your state
Voter registration requirements, deadlines and eligibility rules differ from state to state and can change. This guide is general educational information, not legal advice. Verify the current requirements through Vote.gov, your state election office or your local election official, and if your chapter is running a registration drive, check every state rule against the official election office first.
If something here is out of date for your state, write to admin@youthcei.org with the current rule and the official page it came from, and we will correct the guide.