Home - Voting & Elections Toolkits - Principia College - Marshall Brooks Library at Principia College

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1. Find out if you're registered to vote.

Many states provide voter registration when issuing IDs or driver licenses, so you may already be registered to vote. Click here to see if you're already registered to vote in your state.

2. If not, register to vote!

Choose your state from the navigation bar on the left to see current information on how to register to vote in your state. Remember, your friendly College librarians are here and ready to help you with the process!

3. Request an absentee ballot

Choose your state from the navigation bar on the left to find information on requesting an absentee ballot.

4. Complete & return ballot by your state's deadline.

Each state has different requirements for when ballots must be postmarked or received, so try to vote early to avoid missing deadlines.

General Resources on Voting and Elections

Hotlines

1-866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683)

1-888-VE-Y-VOTA (en Español)

1-888-API-VOTE (Asian multilingual assistance)

Voter Registration & Election Day Resources

USA.gov Voting
Registration & information, Election Day resources, election laws, results,
process, and history; State & local Election Offices; FAQs
Can I Vote?
National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) Created by state election officials with up-to-date national & state-by-state information. Sections: Voter Registration, Find Your Polling Place, Valid Forms of ID, Absentee and Early Voting, Election Official Directory
CIRCLE
Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (Tufts) provides info about voter registration numbers, barriers; oriented toward young people
Fair Elections Legal Network
Guides for voter registration drives in each state.
Federal Voting Assistance Project
Absentee voting assistance and verification for servicemembers & their families and overseas citizens. Plus, links to state/territory-specific election & legislative websites.
League of Women Voters
Voter registration & voting info for 50 states, candidate info
National Voter Registration Day
On the 4th Tuesday of September each year volunteers conduct voter registration drives to ensure that voters don’t miss registration deadlines.
Overseasvotefoundation.org
U.S. Election Assistance Commission
Support and information for election administrators
US Vote Foundation
Registration & information, FAQs by state and topic, clean design.
VoteRiders
VoteRiders offers free assistance for any eligible voter who encounters barriers to securing his or her ID to vote, including financial and legal help obtaining underlying documents like birth certificates, change of name documentation, etc.

Find useful voter information including:

Local Election Office and Contact Information
Address, Telephone and Email for Local Election Offices
Upcoming Federal Election Dates and Deadlines
Upcoming State Election Dates and Deadlines
Eligibility Requirements
Identification Requirements
Voter Materials Transmission Options
State Lookup Tools – Am I Registered? Where’s my Ballot?

Population-Specific information and Resources

AARP Government & Elections
Information targeted at older voters; covers both federal and state elections
Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote
Military Voters
National Center for Transgender Equality: Voting Rights
National Coalition on Black Civic Participation
National Homeless Coalition
You don't need a home to vote!
Native Vote
Resources for indigenous people in all 50 states
Resources for Voters with Disabilities
Rock the Vote
Voter information and engagement resources targeted to the under-30 set, but excellent voter/voting info source for all
State Criminal Re-enfranchisement Laws
Student Guides: Campus Vote Project
Study Abroad and Vote! Toolkit
This toolkit provides voter outreach promotional tools and information to American students studying abroad. U.S. students carry their right to vote when they go overseas! Free Overseas Voter Registration and Ballot Request Widget. Includes This toolkit provides voter outreach promotional tools and information to American students studying abroad. U.S. students carry their right to vote when they go overseas! Free Overseas Voter Registration and Ballot Request Widget. Includes a guide for Study Abroad program coordinators with suggestions for use of the toolkit materials.
Ya es hora ve y vota (Spanish language)

Voting Rights: Laws, Cases, Policy

American Civil Liberties Union: Voting Rights
Department of Justice Civil Rights: Voting Section
Election Protection
Federal Election Commission
Information about federal election campaign finance law and compliance.

Voter Engagement

Nonprofit Vote
Resources for non-partisan voter registration drives and engagement
Voting Weeks

Voter Education

Ballotpedia: Encyclopedia of American Politics
CSPAN: Campaign 2020
Project Vote Smart
Sample Ballots by Zip Code. Elected Officials & Candidates voting records, interest group ratings, speeches, campaign contributions, and contact information, current and past ballot measures by date & issue

Campaign Finance/Funding Information

Federal Election Commission
Information about federal election campaign finance law and compliance.
Open Secrets
Nonpartisan information about the influence of money on politics.
Project Vote Smart
Sample Ballots by Zip Code. Elected Officials & Candidates voting records, interest group ratings, speeches, campaign contributions, and contact information, current and past ballot measures by date & issue

Primary Sources, Lesson Plans & Exhibits

Disclaimer

Librarians from the Government Documents Round Table (GODORT), a Round Table of the American Library Association (ALA), created these reference guides. These guides are intended for informational purposes only and are not in any way intended to be legal advice.

These guides are designated with a Creative Commons license and re-use and modification for educational purposes is encouraged.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.