WASHINGTON, D.C. – Tuesday is National Voter Registration Day, a day dedicated to encouraging Americans to register to vote or check to make sure their registration is up to date.
The civic holiday is celebrated on the fourth Tuesday in September, a little over two months before the general election held. This year, Election Day is on Nov. 3.
Every year, the organization behind the holiday says millions of Americans find themselves unable to vote because they miss their registration deadlines, don’t update their registration, or aren’t sure how to register.
This year, volunteers and organizations from across the nation will come together to create a broad awareness of registration opportunities to reach thousands of voters who may not register otherwise.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, most states have expanded their vote-by-mail opportunities, but in a majority of states, you still need to register and request absentee ballots by certain dates.
Click here for the registration and absentee ballot deadlines for each state.
The U.S. Postal Service, which will play a huge roll in this election, strongly recommends that voters request their mail-in ballots at the earliest point allowable, but no later than 15 days prior to Election Day.
The USPS also recommends that voters mail their ballots at least one week prior to their states' due dates to allow for timely receipt by election officials.
If you don’t want to rely on the USPS to deliver your ballot to election officials, many communities provide locations where you can drop your ballot off yourself.