“Did you move this year? Do you plan to vote in the November election?” If you answered yes to both of those questions, you need to complete your voter registration change-of-address.
How do you change your voter registration address when you move?
Voter registration is handled at the state level, not the federal level. That means if you moved to a new state, you need to change your voting address before the election to vote. You probably need to change voter registration information even if you moved to a different county or just across the street.” – MyMove
Voting resources
- MyMove – Provides A State-by-State guide to mail-in voting and changing your voter registration address.
- Mail In 2020 – Gathers up the steps you need to vote by mail and outlines what you need to have. For example, some states require some form of ID. All information personalized to your voting status and state are organized on a single web page with buttons for each step.
- Map My Vote – provides clear, concise maps of ballot drop-off locations, providing voters with an easy and effective way to return their ballots, without relying on USPS or endangering their health. Each map is embeddable and shows the exact location, hours of operation, and special instructions for every ballot drop-off location in a state. These maps can be easily added to any website.
Request an absentee ballot
File a change-of-address as soon as possible and request an absentee ballot. The United States Postal Service is recommending that state or local election officials use First-Class Mail and allow at least one week for delivery of absentee ballots to voters. Likewise, the USPS® recommends voters mail their return ballots via First-Class Mail at least one week prior to the due date established by state law to ensure the ballots are received in time to be counted. If you’re having issues finding a mailbox, you can place your absentee ballot in your personal mailbox with the outgoing mail, or even schedule a pickup online.
Check with your county’s or state’s for details or follow the MyMove guide for state-by-state instructions. Here is an example of what they recommend for North Carolina residents, for instance.
North Carolina – Update your voter registration:
- By mail: Update your registration using MYMOVE’s for. Fill in your information, print it out, and mail it in!
- Online: If you are a North Carolina DMV customer and have a valid North Carolina driver’s license or ID, you can register to vote online or update your registration with your new address.
- In-person: You can register in person at your county Board of Election.
Deadline: 25 days before Election Day. Mailed registrations must be postmarked 25 days before Election Day and received no later than 20 days before Election Day. If you miss the deadline can register in person at your local Early Voting site up until three days before Election Day.
To vote by mail, complete and return a State Absentee Ballot Request Form by email, fax, mail or in person to your local county board of elections. It must be submitted by 5 p.m. on the Tuesday before Election Day.
Absentee ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by 5 p.m. on the third day after Election Day.
Takeaway
Make it easy and painless for voters to find answers to logistical questions. If there is too much paperwork or waiting involved in a process like changing your address on a voter registration form, voters may be discouraged, but making these processes easy and available via smartphone will leave voters feeling relieved and mobilized.
Deepak
DemLabs
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DemLabs is a project of the Advocacy Fund
