Voter Registration Deadlines

Elections

Voter registration deadlines vary by state. The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) of 1993 requires that states set their voter registration deadlines for federal elections no more than 30 days before an election. Some states set their deadlines at this 30-day mark, while others permit voters to register up to Election Day and anywhere in between. States may also have different voter registration deadlines for applications completed online, by mail and in person. Deadlines may also differ based on election type.

The categories below summarize in-person registration deadlines. Additional state-by-state details are provided below in Table 1.

Fifteen states and the Virgin Islands have a voter registration deadline 28-30 days before an election:
- Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and the Virgin Islands
Nine states have a voter registration deadline 20 to 27 days before an election:
- Delaware, Kansas, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon and West Virginia
Seven states have a voter registration deadline one to 15 days before an election:
- Alabama, Massachusetts, Montana, Nebraska, New York, Pennsylvania and South Dakota
Nineteen states and Washington, D.C., have voter registration available on Election Day. Many also offer same-day registration and voting during the early voting period (see NCSL's webpage on Same-Day Registration for additional information):
- California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming and Puerto Rico
- Montana and North Carolina offer same-day voter registration during the early voting period, but not on Election Day.
North Dakota does not have voter registration.

This page is intended as a reference to legislators who are looking at their state's voter registration deadlines in comparison to other states and is not intended as a resource for voters to determine their state's voter registration deadline.

Table 1: Voter Registration Deadlines

State

Registration Deadline

Statute(s)

Alabama

Fifteen days before an election.

AL ST § 17-3-50

Alaska

Thirty days before an election.

AK ST § 15.07.070(c)

Arizona

Twenty-nine days before an election.

AZ ST § 16-120

Arkansas

Thirty days before an election.

AR CONST Amend. 51, § 9

California

Fifteen days before an election.

Same-day registration is permitted 14 days before an election and on Election Day.

CA ELEC § 2170

Colorado

Eight days before an election.

Same-day registration is permitted during early voting and on Election Day.

Deadlines for voter registration drives are 22 days before an election.

C.R.S.A. § 1-2-201

C.R.S.A. § 1-2-217.7

Connecticut

Seven days before an election.

Same-day registration is permitted on Election Day.

Deadlines for primary elections are different.

C.G.S.A. § 9-23g

C.G.S.A. § 9-19j

Delaware

Twenty-four days before an election.

Deadlines for special elections are different.

DE ST TI 15 § 2036

District of Columbia

Twenty-one days before an election.

Same-day registration is permitted on Election Day.

DC ST § 1-1001.07

Florida

Twenty-nine days before an election.

FL ST § 97.055

Georgia

Twenty-nine days before an election.

Deadlines for special elections are different.

GA ST § 21-2-224

Hawaii

Ten days before an election

Same-day registration is permitted during early voting and on Election Day.

HI ST § 11-24

HI ST § 11-15.2

Idaho

Twenty-five days before an election.

Same-day registration is permitted on Election Day.

I.C. § 34-408A

Illinois

Twenty-eight days before an election; 16 days before if registering online.

Same-day registration is permitted from 27 days before the election and on Election Day.

Availability and locations of same-day and Election Day registration vary by county.

10 ILCS 5/4-6

10 ILCS 5/4-16

10 ILCS 5/5-5

10 ILCS 5/6-29

10 ILCS 5/5-50

Indiana

Twenty-nine days before an election.

IN ST § 3-7-13-10

Iowa

Fifteen days before an election; postmarked 15 days before an election for mail registrations.

Same-day registration is permitted during in-person absentee voting and on Election Day.

IA ST § 48A.9

IA ST § 48A.7A

Kansas

Twenty-one days before an election.

Deadlines for presidential preference primaries are different.

KS ST § 25-2311

Kentucky

Twenty-nine days before an election.

KY ST § 116.045

Louisiana

Thirty days before an election; 20 days before if registering online.

LA R.S. 18:135

Maine

Twenty-one days before an election.

Same-day registration is permitted on Election Day.

ME ST T. 21-A § 121-A

ME ST T. 21-A § 122

Maryland

Twenty-one days before an election.

Same-day registration is permitted during early voting and on Election Day.

MD ELEC LAW § 3-302

MD ELEC LAW § 3-305

MD ELEC LAW § 3-306

Massachusetts

Ten days before an election.

M.G.L.A. 51 § 26

Michigan

Fifteen days before an election.

Same-day registration is permitted during early voting and on Election Day.

M.C.L.A. 168.497

M.C.L.A 168.498

Minnesota

Twenty-one days before an election.

Same-day registration is permitted during early voting and on Election Day.

MN ST § 201.054

MN ST § 201.061

Mississippi

Thirty days before an election.

MS ST § 23-15-37

Missouri

Twenty-seven days before an election.

MO ST § 115.135

Montana

Thirty days before an election.

Voters may also register during the late registration period ending at noon the day before Election Day.

MT ST § 13-2-301

MT ST § 13-2-304

MT ST § 13-2-514

Nebraska

Eleven days before an election if registering in person; 18 days before if registering online or by mail.

NE ST § 32-302

NE ST § 32-304

Nevada

Twenty-eight days before an election in-person; postmarked 28 days before if registering by mail; five days before if registering online.

Deadlines for special elections are different.

Same-day registration is permitted during early voting and on Election Day.

NV ST § 293.560

NV ST 293.5847

New Hampshire

Six to 13 days before an election, depending on local supervisors of the checklist.

Same-day registration is permitted on Election Day.

NH ST § 654:7

NH ST § 654:7-a

New Jersey

Twenty-one days before an election.

N.J.S.A. 19:31-6

New Mexico

Twenty-eight days before an election.

Same-day registration is permitted 28 days prior to the election until the Saturday prior to Election Day. Election Day registration is available for statewide contests.

NM ST § 1-4-8

New York

Ten days before an election

NY ELEC § 5-210

North Carolina

Twenty-five days before an election.

Same-day registration is permitted during early voting.

NC ST § 163-82.6

North Dakota

North Dakota does not have voter registration.

N/A

Ohio

Thirty days before an election.

OH ST § 3503.19

Oklahoma

Twenty-five days before an election.

OK ST T. 26 § 4-110.1

Oregon

Twenty-one days before an election.

OR ST § 247.017

Pennsylvania

Fifteen days before an election.

25 P.S. § 3071

Puerto Rico

Thirty days before an election.

16 L.P.R.A. § 4571

Rhode Island

Thirty days before an election.

RI ST § 17-9.1-3

South Carolina

Thirty days before an election.

SC ST § 7-5-150

South Dakota

Fifteen days before an election.

SD ST § 12-4-5

Tennessee

Thirty days before an election.

TN ST § 2-2-109

Texas

Thirty days before an election.

TX ELECTION § 13.143

Utah

Eleven days before an election.

Same-day registration is permitted during early voting and on Election Day.

UT ST § 20A-2-102.5

UT ST § 20A-2-206

UT ST § 20A-2-207

Vermont

Same-day registration is permitted through Election Day.

VT ST T. 17 § 2144

Virginia

Twenty-two days before an election.

Same-day registration permitted during early voting and on Election Day.

Deadlines for special elections differ.

VA ST § 24.2-416

VA ST § 24.2-420.1

Virgin Islands

Thirty days before and election.

VI ST T. 18 § 94

Washington

Online and mail-in registrations must be received no later than eight days before an election.

In-person registration is permitted through 8 p.m. Election Day.

WA ST 29A.08.140

West Virginia

Twenty-one days before an election.

WV ST § 3-2-6

Wisconsin

Twenty days before an election if registering online or by mail. Friday before election if registering in-person.

Same-day registration is also permitted on Election Day.

WI ST § 6.28

WI ST § 6.29

Wyoming

Fourteen days before an election.

Same-day registration is also permitted on Election Day.

WY ST § 22-3-102

WY ST § 22-3-104

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Voter Registration Deadlines, Vote.org

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