If your name and address haven’t changed and you’re an active voter, you don’t need to re-register. However, you’ll need to register again if you’ve moved, changed your name, or want to change your political party affiliation. You might also need to re-register if you haven’t voted in a long time and your registration has been purged.
You can check your voter registration status by visiting your local or state Election Commission’s website. Your voter registration information, including your assigned precinct, will be available there. This is especially important before your state’s registration deadline, which is typically 30 days before an election. Checking early allows ample time to re-register or make any necessary changes.
States strive to maintain the most accurate voter rolls possible by removing registrations of voters who no longer reside locally and by marking some registrations as inactive. Your registration might be marked inactive if you fail to respond to official election mail and don’t vote in two consecutive federal general elections. If your registration is inactive, you may need to take additional steps before you can vote, or you may have to cast a provisional ballot.
Checking and updating (when necessary) your registration information ahead of time ensures your name, address, and political party affiliation are current. Note that some states don’t require you to declare a party when registering, so you might not see your party affiliation listed when checking your registration. Furthermore, checking early gives you time to make any necessary changes if your registration is marked inactive, safeguarding your right to vote and identifying your correct polling place.
