Why Can I Not Renew My Registration Online

November 30, 2021

Checking Your Voter Registration Status Online

In the wake of recent news stories about voter purging and an increased focus on civic participation, it makes sense to want to search your name in voter lists online to ensure you're able to vote. Luckily, there are several different ways to check your voter registration status online.

When to Check Your Voter Registration Status

Even if you think you're registered to vote, it's important to double-check your registration online well before election day arrives. That's because some states engage in what's known as voter purging, a practice that sees voters with valid registrations purged or removed from voter lists. These voters may then show up to the polls on election day and find that they aren't actually able to vote. Even having voted in previous elections is no guarantee of your current status, as some states have "use it or lose it" policies that purge people from voter rolls if they haven't voted recently. So if you intend to vote in an upcoming election, you should find out what your state's voter registration deadline is and search your name in voter lists so you have time to register if necessary.

Finding Your State's Voter Registration Deadline

If you don't know your state's voter registration deadline, you can find it by visiting the Association of Secretaries of State website at nass.org or doing an internet search with "[your state] voter registration deadline." Make sure you're getting this information from a reputable source, such as a government agency or a reputable nonprofit organization. Keep in mind that each state has different deadlines and rules, so search for information that applies to your state specifically.

State and County Government Websites

Once you're confident that you're not too late to re-register (if necessary), it's time to confirm that you're actually registered. Your state should have an elections website (often accessible through the Secretary of State's website) that provides resources for voters, including a registration lookup. You may also be able to register online through this same site, so this is a good first place to look. You can find your state's election website by internet searching "[your state] elections website" and looking for results with a .gov domain extension. When a state website isn't available, a similar website may be available through your county, which you can find by performing a similar search to the one above, only with your county name instead of the state name.

Federal Government Websites

Some U.S. federal government websites provide voter registration information for everyone in the country, regardless of state. USA.gov, for example, has a voter registration page found at usa.gov/register-to-vote. This is a good place to go to check your status if you aren't sure what state you might be registered in, or if you want to learn more about election laws across the country.

Nonprofit Organization Websites

There are some nonprofit organizations that focus on getting out the vote, meaning they dedicate resources to informing the general public about elections. Examples include Vote.org, Rock the Vote and HeadCount. Websites for these and similar organizations offer resources for checking voter registration status.

Bray Bagenchole