Start with your state or territory.
Registration is handled through your state or territory. You do not register separately for each federal office.
New to this? Start with these words.
- Voter registration
- The process of enrolling as an eligible voter under your state’s rules.
- Ballot
- The list of choices a voter can vote on in an election.
- Jurisdiction
- The state or locality responsible for the relevant election rules or services.
Learn at your own pace. Browse the plain-language glossary →
Choose your jurisdiction
Vote.gov directs you to your state or territory’s official registration process, including how to update an existing registration.
Choose your state at Vote.gov ↗Find your election office
Use USAGov’s directory to reach your election authority. Look for voter registration, registration checks, sample ballots, polling locations, and voting dates.
Find your official election office ↗One registration. Several levels of government.
Once registered and eligible, your residence determines your ballot. It can include federal, state, and local contests. U.S. senators represent the entire state; a House representative serves a congressional district or an at-large state seat.
Check the instructions for your jurisdiction.
Registration methods, eligibility, early voting, and mail-voting rules vary by jurisdiction and voter circumstances. Use the official election office to confirm current deadlines and the options available to you.
Preview your choices.
Sample ballots and voter lookups can show the specific contests that apply to your address when available. Our directory helps explain the offices and research the candidates, while your election authority supplies the official ballot and voting instructions.
Explore the offices at stake → · Browse candidate research →
This guide does not collect registration forms, names, addresses, or voter information. Registration links take you to official government resources.
- Register or update your registration · Vote.gov
- State and local election offices · USAGov
Reviewed October 19, 2026. How this guide is researched.