Which states allow same-day voter registration? What to know for the 2022 midterm elections
Wyatte Grantham-PhilipsThe 2022 midterm elections have arrived. And, if you haven't registered to vote but still hope to cast a ballot on Tuesday, it's important to know which states allow for same-day voter registration.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 22 states and Washington, D.C., have same-day voter registration as of 2022.
Election Day registration – which means you can both register and vote on Election Day – is possible in 20 of those states and Washington, D.C., the conference says.
Two other states are slightly different. In North Carolina, same-day registration is possible for a portion of early voting but not on Election Day, the conference notes. A law passed in Montana last year moved the state's registration deadline to the day before Election Day, but that legislation has faced lengthy legal challenges. According to the Montana secretary of state, the law will not be enforced this year, and voters should be able to register on Election Day by 8 p.m.
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Legal challenges over same-day registration laws are not new. In Delaware, for example, the state's Supreme Court ruled same-day voter registration unconstitutional last month, the state legislatures conference notes.
In addition to the District of Columbia, here are the states where you can register to vote this Election Day:
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Maine
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Montana
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Mexico
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
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According to the conference, two additional states, Alaska and Rhode Island, allow for same-day registration "only to vote for president and vice president." Because the presidency is not on ballots for the midterms, that does not apply on Tuesday.
Unlike other states, North Dakota does not require voter identification. All eligible voters can vote if they provide "acceptable identification."
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