Voting can be time-consuming. Anyone who’s had to wait in a long line or miss work to cast their ballot on Election Day (Nov. 8) or during their state’s primary can attest to that fact. If you live in a state that offers online voter registration, consider yourself lucky. Registering to vote online can save you time and an extra trip to your DMV—or, at the very least, a postage stamp.
Currently, a total of 31 states and the District of Columbia offer online voting registration. Illinois voters this year can register online to vote for the first time, beginning with the state’s primary on March 15. Legislation that would bring full online voter registration to Wisconsin was recently sent to Gov. Scott Walker’s desk.
While registering to vote on the Internet has its definite perks, voters should be mindful of deadlines and requirements that vary with each state. Beware of stricter ID protocols for online voter registration versus in-person or mail-in voter registration. Many states only accept a state-issued driver’s license or identification card online as a dual way of verifying both residency and identity. If you recently moved to a state and still have an out-of-state driver’s license, you may be out of luck in most states.
Some states require voters who register online to later verify their identity in-person. Other states that offer online voter registration don’t extend it to absentee ballots or early voting, so be sure to visit your secretary of state’s website for specific details.
Here is a rundown of how online voter registration works in the states that offer it:
Alabama
Primary: Yes
General: Yes
ID required: Yes. Voters must have a valid Alabama driver’s license or identification card in order to register to vote online and present their ID at their polling place on voting day.
Deadline: 15 days prior to any election.
Website: Alabama Votes
Alaska
Primary: N/A
General: Yes
ID required: Voters must have a valid Alaska driver’s license or identification card in order to register to vote online.
Deadline: Oct. 9, 2016 is the registration deadline in Alaska for regular voting for the General Election. Alaska voters can also cast an absentee ballot online beginning 15 days before Election Day. You can find more details about Alaska’s “vote by electronic transmission” option on Alaska’s elections site.
Website: Alaska Online Voter Registration
Arizona
Primary: Yes
General: Yes
ID required: Voters must have a valid Arizona driver’s license or identification card to register to vote online.
Deadline: Applications must be completed 29 days before an election
Website: Service Arizona Voter Registration
California
Primary: Yes
General: Yes
ID required: Voters will be asked for their California driver’s license or identification card number to register to vote online. If you do not have a California driver license or identification card number, you can still start the registration process online. The website will create a pre-filled voter registration application for you to print, sign, and mail to your county elections office so that they can add your signature to your voter registration record.
Deadline: 15 days before any election day.
Website: California Online Voter Registration
Colorado
Primary: Yes
General: Yes
ID required: Voters must have a valid Colorado driver’s license or identification card in order to register to vote online.
Deadline: Eight days before any election day.
Website: Go Vote Colorado
Connecticut
Primary: Yes
General: Yes
ID required: Voters must have a valid Connecticut driver’s license, learner’s permit, or non-driver photo identification card and a signature on file with DMV in order to register to vote online.
Deadline: The deadline to register to vote online in Connecticut is five days before a primary and seven days before an election.
Website: State of Connecticut’s Online Voter Registration System
Delaware
Primary: Yes
General: Yes
ID required: Voters must use their Social Security number or their valid Delaware driver’s license or ID number in order to register to vote online.
Deadline: The deadlines are April 2, 2016, to register online to vote in Delaware’s presidential primary and Oct. 15, 2016, to register online to vote in the general election.
Website: Vote Delaware
District of Columbia
Primary: Yes
General: Yes
ID required: Voters in D.C. must use their Social Security number or a valid DMV-issued driver’s license or state ID card in order to register to vote online.
Deadline: 30 days before an election.
Website: District of Columbia Board of Elections. D.C. voters can also register to vote with the Vote 4 DC app, available for iOS and Android.
Georgia
Primary: Yes
General: Yes
ID required: Voters must have a valid Georgia driver’s license or identification card in order to register to vote online.
Deadline: The deadlines are April 26, 2016, to register online to vote in Georgia’s state and local primary and Oct. 11, 2016, to register online to vote in the general election.
Website: Georgia’s Online Voter Registration
Hawaii
Primary: N/A
General: Yes
ID required: Voters must have a valid Hawaii driver’s license or identification card and Social Security number in order to register to vote online.
Deadline: 30 days prior to any election by 4:30pm local time.
Website: Hawaii Office of Elections
Illinois
Primary: Yes
General: Yes
ID required: Voters must have a valid Illinois driver’s license or identification card number and Social Security number in order to register to vote online.
Deadline: 27 days prior to any election
Website: Illinois Online Voter Registration
Indiana
Primary: Yes
General: Yes
ID required: Voters must have a valid Indiana driver’s license or identification card number in order to register to vote online.
Deadline: The deadline to register online to vote in Indiana is April 4, 2016, for the presidential primary and Oct. 11, 2016, for the general election.
Website: Indiana Online Voter Registration
Iowa
Primary: Yes
General: Yes
ID required: Voters must have a valid Iowa driver’s license or identification card number in order to register to vote online.
Deadline: 10 days before a general election and 11 days before all other elections.
Website: Iowa Online Voter Registration
Kansas
Primary: Yes
General: Yes
ID required: Voters must have a valid Kansas driver’s license or identification card number in order to register to vote online. New voters must submit proof of U.S. citizenship by mail before they can register online.
Deadline: 21 days before any election.
Website: Kansas Online Voter Registration
Louisiana
Primary: Yes
General: Yes
ID required: Voters must have a valid Louisiana driver’s license or identification card number in order to register to vote online.
Deadline: 30 days before any election.
Website: Geaux Vote
Maryland
Primary: Yes
General: Yes
ID required: Voters must have a valid Maryland driver’s license, learner’s permit, or non-driver photo identification card in order to register to vote online.
Deadline: 21 days before any election.
Website: Maryland Online Voter Registration
Massachusetts
Primary: Yes
General: Yes
ID required: Voters must have a valid Massachusetts driver’s license, learner’s permit, or non-driver photo identification card and a signature on file with the state DMV in order to register to vote online.
Deadline: 20 days before any election.
Website: Massachusetts Online Voter Registration
Minnesota
Primary: Yes
General: Yes
ID required: Voters must use their Social Security number or their valid Minnesota driver’s license or ID number in order to register to vote online.
Deadline: 21 days before any election.
Website: Minnesota Online Voter Registration
Missouri
Primary: Yes
General: Yes
ID required: Voters must use their Missouri driver’s license or ID number in order to register to vote online.
Deadline: The deadline in Missouri to register online to vote in the general election is Oct. 12, 2016. The deadline for the presidential primary was Feb. 17, 2016.
Website: Vote Missouri
Nebraska
Primary: N/A
General: Yes
ID required: Voters must use valid Nebraska driver’s license or ID number in order to register to vote online.
Deadline: The deadline in Nebraska to register to vote online is 5pm local time on the third Friday before the election.
Website: Nebraska Online Voter Registration System
Nevada
Primary: N/A
General: Yes
ID required: Voters must use a valid Nevada driver’s license or ID number in order to register to vote online.
Deadline: The deadline in Nevada to register online to vote in the general election is Oct. 18, 2016.
Website: Nevada Online Voter Registration System
New Mexico
Primary: Yes
General: Yes
ID required: Voters must use a valid New Mexico driver’s license or ID number in order to register to vote online.
Deadline: 28 days before an election
Website: New Mexico Online Voter Registration System
New York
Primary: Yes
General: Yes
ID required: Voters must use a valid New York driver’s license, learner’s permit or ID number and have a Social Security number in order to register to vote online.
Deadline:The deadline in New York to register online to vote in the general election is Oct. 14, 2016. The deadline for the presidential primary is March 25, 2016.
Website: NY DMV
Oregon
Primary: Yes
General: Yes
ID required: Voters must use a valid Oregon driver’s license, learner’s permit or ID number in order to register to vote online. If not, Oregon voters must provide the last four digits of their Social Security number.
Deadline: 21 days before Election Day.
Website: My Vote Oregon
Pennsylvania
Primary: Yes
General: Yes
ID required: Voters must use a valid Pennsylvania driver’s license or ID number in order to register to vote online. If not, Pennsylvania voters must provide the last four digits of their Social Security number.
Deadline: 30 days prior to any election.
Website: PA Online Voter Registration
South Carolina
Primary: Yes
General: Yes
ID required: Voters must use a valid South Carolina driver’s license or ID number in order to register to vote online.
Deadline: 30 days prior to any election.
Website: SC Election Commission
Utah
Primary: Yes
General: Yes
ID required: Voters must use a valid Utah driver’s license or ID number in order to register to vote online. Your address must match what is on file with Utah’s Driver’s License Division.
Deadline: Utah voters may register online to vote up to seven days before an election.
Website: Vote.Utah.gov
Vermont
Primary: Yes
General: Yes
ID required: Voters must use a valid Vermont driver’s license , learner’s permit or ID number in order to register to vote online.
Deadline: Vermont voters can register online up to 5pm ET on the Wednesday preceding the election.
Website: Vermont Online Voter Registration System
Virginia
Primary: Yes
General: Yes
ID required: Voters must use a valid Virginia driver’s license or ID number and their Social Security number in order to register to vote online.
Deadline: Virginia voters can register online up to 22 days before a primary or general election.
Website: Virginia Online Voter Registration System
Washington
Primary: Only for voters who are currently registered to vote in Washington state.
General: Yes
ID required: Voters must use a valid Washington driver’s license or ID number in order to register to vote online.
Deadline: The deadline in Washington to register online to vote in the presidential primary is April 25, 2016. The deadline for the general election is Oct. 10, 2016.
Website: My Vote Washington
West Virginia
Primary: Yes
General: Yes
ID required: Voters must use a valid West Virginia driver’s license or ID number and provide the last four digits of their Social Security number in order to register to vote online.
Deadline: The deadline in Washington to register online to vote in the presidential primary is April 19, 2016. The deadline for the general election is Oct. 18, 2016.
Website: West Virginia Online Voter Registration System
Photo via Joe Hall/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)