How to Find a Voter Registration Number

According to University of Houston history professor Steven Mintz, "Americans vote less than any other people in Western societies," with half of registered voters casting ballots in presidential elections and even fewer participating in local or state elections. This lack of interest seems ironic, given the ongoing struggle to win the right to vote for women, poor people, African Americans, Native Americans, Asian immigrants and other groups once denied that right. Another irony is that registering to vote has never been easier.

Instructions

1. Look locally. Your local voter registrar is usually the county clerk's office (Louisiana has parishes instead of counties, and Alaska has boroughs), but it may be a city or township office. Find the number in the phone book, or call directory information. You can also find most registrars with a quick online search. They can explain voter eligibility and registration requirements---these are different in every state---and tell you where to pick up registration forms or cards. In many states, for example, voter registration cards are available at post offices, libraries and Department of Motor Vehicles offices.

2. Look---and register to vote---at the state level. Every state has an office dedicated to managing elections and voter registration. Usually this is the Secretary or Department of State, but in some states it is known as the Office, Board or Commissioner of Elections. A great deal of information is typically offered on the state website, including phone numbers to call for answers to particular questions. Some states also have dedicated phone numbers offering information in languages other than English. On many state websites you can download current voter registration forms to print, fill out and return by mail. Voter registration forms submitted at the state level are usually forwarded to your registrar's office, which manages the local voter database.

3. Call the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) in Washington, D.C., toll-free [phone] or [phone]. The EAC may suggest that you fill out and submit a universal National Mail Voter Registration Form---but only if you currently reside in the United States and its territories. The application is available online through the commission's website, www.eac.gov/voter/Register to Vote, and includes current information about voter registration in each state. Federal EAC voter registration information and forms are available in Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese and Tagalog.

4. Fill out and submit the Federal Postcard Application to register to vote if you're in the military living abroad or if you're a U.S. citizen living outside the U.S. and its territories. The nonpartisan non-profit Overseas Vote Foundation, www.overseasvotefoundation.org, can help you register to vote and answer any questions. The Federal Voting Assistance Program, www.fvap.gov, also offers help with voter registration and absentee voting.

Tips & Warnings

• Use the Government Pages of the phone book to find both local and state voter registration or election office information.

• Voter registration regulations and deadlines differ from state to state. (In 2010, North Dakota didn't require voter registration; in Wyoming you couldn't register by mail.) So know your own state's requirements.

References

• Overseas Vote Foundation
• Federal Voting Assistance Program: Absentee Voting Overview
• EAC.gov: U.S. Election Assistance Commission

Resources

• Winning the Vote: A History of Voting Rights