Voter ID Laws
What are Voter ID Laws?
Rather than the federal government, state governments have the power to dictate how elections are run in their respective state. For instance, even if you’re voting for someone to fill a federal office like Senator or President, the state you live in decides the rules and regulations for how that election is carried out. As a result of this, many, but not all, states have voter identification (ID) laws that require voters to show some form of valid identification at the polls on Election Day in order to cast their ballot.
How do Voter ID Laws affect me?
Making your voice heard at the polls is an important and extremely impactful way to fundamentally change our country for the better. In some cases, if you don’t present the correct form of ID, your ballot would not be counted until you meet the identification requirements.
If you are a first-time voter: Federal law mandates that if you are a first-time voter, you registered by mail, and you did not attach a verification of ID to your voter registration application, then all states are mandated to check an acceptable form of identification before allowing you to vote. The ID must be one of the following:
- A "current and valid photo identification"
- “A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows the name and address of the voter”
Take 2 minutes and register to vote.
State by State Rules
If you live in:
- American Samoa
- California
- District of Columbia
- Guam
- Illinois
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Nebraska
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- Nevada
- North Carolina
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Puerto Rico
- Vermont
- Virgin Islands
- Wyoming
No ID is required to vote, only voter registration is required.
If you live in:
- Georgia
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Mississippi
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- Wisconsin
A valid government PHOTO ID is required at the polls. Your state is strict, meaning that if you don't have the requisite ID your ballot will not be counted until you verify your ID.
If you live in:
- Arizona
- North Dakota
- Ohio
A valid government NON-PHOTO or PHOTO ID is required at the polls. Your state is strict, meaning that if you don't have the requisite ID your ballot will not be counted until you verify your ID.
If you live in:
- Arkansas
- Alabama
- Florida
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Louisiana
- Michigan
- Rhode Island
- South Dakota
- Texas
A valid government PHOTO ID is required at the polls. However, your state is non-strict, meaning that if you don't have the requisite ID you will vote on a provisional ballot and in most cases, the government will confirm your identity by checking your signature, birthdate, etc.
If you live in:
- Alaska
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Iowa
- Kentucky
- Missouri
- Montana
- New Hampshire
- Oklahoma
- South Carolina
- Utah
- Washington
- West Virginia
A valid government NON-PHOTO and PHOTO ID is required at the polls. However, your state is non-strict, meaning that if you don't have the requisite ID you will vote on a provisional ballot and in most cases, the government will confirm your identity by checking your signature, birthdate, etc.
For more detailed information, we recommend using the resources provided by the National Conference of State Legislatures.
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