Can I Still Vote If My Address Changed?

U.S. citizens who have recently moved to a new state or young voters attending college but maintaining their parents' address as their permanent address might run into challenges on Voting Day. With a few easy steps, you'll be re-registered and ready to vote!

You Will Need To Register Again

The main thing to remember is that your voter registration information is not portable.

• If you've moved permanently to another state, you must complete a new voter registration form by the voter registration deadline in that state.

• If you've moved elsewhere within your current state, you must update your voter registration with your new address.

Even if you've only moved to a different unit in the same apartment building, you'll still need to re-register. If anything at all about your permanent address has changed, you will have to update your registration.

Entities like the United States Postal Service and your state's Department of Motor Vehicles will not do this change of address for you.

How To Register To Vote

In any case, doing so should be a simple matter of completing an online voter registration application or visiting your local election office or DMV. When you arrive, you will probably have to provide your old and new addresses.

You'll want to bring the following items in person so that the staff at your election office can verify your identity:

• Driver's license

• Identification card

• Social Security Number (SSN)

Another thing to keep in mind is that in most states, your registration at your previous address will remain in place until you change your registration to reflect a new permanent address. That goes for not only travelers, college students, overseas voters, and members of the military but also people temporarily living in non-traditional housing such as homeless shelters or even prisons.

The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) provides service members, their families, and overseas citizens with information on their voting rights. The FVAP offers centralized information on absentee voting for upcoming elections.

When To Register To Vote

Keep in mind that the process of getting registered to vote can take weeks. If possible, set the wheels of voter registration in motion a few months before the next Election Day.

Some states may require you to identify your political party affiliation when registering to vote in primary elections. Primary elections determine which candidates, including presidential candidates, will be on the November general election ballot.

If it's been a while since you voted, check your registration status to ensure it wasn't purged. Your voter registration card typically includes your name, home address, and the address of the polling place where you'll vote.

Your status may indicate "inactive" if you haven't voted in at least two federal elections and failed to respond to inquiries from election officials. You may have to cast a provisional ballot until your status changes back to active.

Voting From College

If you're a college student, you can maintain a residence in two states but only vote in one. If you don't plan on staying in your college's state when you finish school, you'll probably want to vote in your home state. That will mean casting an absentee ballot unless you're planning on being home on Election Day. Some states vote by mail for their elections, which simplifies the process.

Some states will ask for a valid reason why you're voting absentee. Those states include:

• Alabama

• Arkansas

• Connecticut

• Delaware

• Indiana

• Kentucky

• Louisiana

• Mississippi

• Missouri

• New Hampshire

• South Carolina

• Tennessee

• Texas

• West Virginia

Being away at college is almost always an acceptable reason. So is being ill or disabled, out of state for business or vacation, or deployed in the military. The other 32 states and the District of Columbia do not require a reason to request a ballot.

With absentee balloting, it's important that you give yourself plenty of time to get, fill out, and return your ballot. If you fill out an absentee ballot by mail, it will go back and forth via snail mail, so consider the number of days that will take.

The same applies to registering to vote or updating your registration information. Some states offer same-day registrations, but most require registration to happen well before Election Day. Learn how by visiting your state's voting guide.

Not Sure if You Can Vote at Your New Address? Speak to an Attorney

If you're unsure whether you can vote if your address has changed or have questions about the registration process, the first step is to check with your local election office or your state's secretary of state page. If you have questions about whether you meet the eligibility requirements to vote, you can speak to an election law attorney near you.