8 Surprising Things About Voting in the US You Probably Don’t Know
To prepare for the November election, our team at IGC has created comprehensive state-level toolkits to help businesses run corporate civic engagement campaigns and get-out-the-vote programs. While compiling the voter information, we saw stark differences in election rules across the country. Registration, eligibility, and access to election information vary greatly.
It made us realize voting in the US is more complex than many, including us, thought. In honor of National Voter Registration Day, we compiled eight surprising things we learned about voting laws and access across the country.
In a hurry? Check out this infographic:
Want to see the details? Check out our article with sources below:
Voter Registration & Eligibility
1. Nineteen states allow voters to register on Election Day. North Dakota does not require voters to register at all. In every other state, voters must register in advance of the election. How they can register depends on their state.
2. The majority of states offer online voter registration, but nearly a dozen still require a signed paper registration form to be submitted to a local election official. Who the local election officials are differs by state. Oklahoma provides an online “wizard” for voter registration, but OK voters are still required to print, sign and submit their forms to their County Election Board. In Texas, voters can mail in their completed registration forms or submit them to a Volunteer Deputy Registrar, someone who has been certified to register voters in the state.
3. Many states have similar eligibility laws for voters, including being a resident of the state, and being 18 years or older on Election Day (although some states allow 16-year-olds to vote only in local elections). One unique voter eligibility requirement is in Alabama, where voters must swear or affirm to "support and defend the Constitution of the U.S. and the State of Alabama and further disavow any belief or affiliation with any group which advocates the overthrow of the governments of the U.S. or the State of Alabama by unlawful means and that the information contained herein is true, so help me God.”
4. Even while incarcerated, felons are allowed to vote in the District of Columbia, Vermont and Maine. However, in 11 states, felons who have committed certain crimes lose their right to vote indefinitely or require a governor’s pardon to restore their right.
In-Person & Absentee Voting
5. Four states—Alabama, Connecticut, Mississippi, and New Hampshire—do not offer in-person early voting options for all voters, but some do offer in-person early voting options for absentee voters. When it comes to absentee voting, each state has its own requirements for who is eligible to cast an absentee ballot. Some states require voters to meet specific eligibility criteria, while others, such as Michigan, allow registered voters to vote absentee without an excuse or reason.
6. Oregon does not offer in-person voting. Instead, every person is mailed a ballot ahead of the election and they must mail it in or submit it in a drop-box before or on Election Day.
Election Information & Electoral Systems
7. Some states make their election information easily accessible via their Secretary of State’s Office or State Election Commission. Others, do not. For instance, check out the difference between trying to find the 2022 election timeline on North Carolina’s webpage vs. sifting through Indiana’s 107-page PDF.
8. Elections in Maine and Alaska operate on a ranked-choice voting system. Ranked-choice voting allows voters to rank candidates by preference on their ballots. More information about ranked-choice voting can be found here.