Voter Assistance
The Brennan Center assembled the following page to assist those searching for information regarding registeration, voting, deadlines, poll locations, etc. When links are provided, we believe the those sources have put together reputable sites. However, the Brennan Center can not take responsibility for the accuracy of all the content on every page of their web site.
We will continue to add content to this page as it becomes available. Contact the Brennan Center's web editor with questions, suggestions or corrections at: (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
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How to Register to Vote | Registration Deadlines
General Information | Locating Your Polling Place or Election Official
Reviewing Ballot Beforehand | Voting After a Criminal Conviction
Overseas Citizens |Election Terms Glossary |
Report Problems
Voter Checklist
How to Register to Vote
Register Online – One quick and relatively convenient way to register is via the internet. Several organizations presently have forms on their web sites including: Rock the Vote/Credo, VOTE411.org, and Declare Yourself.
Download a PDF – The United States Election Assistance Commission provides a link to the National Voter Registration Form. The form includes instructions, mailing addresses and deadlines for all 50 states and D.C. Download it here.
Registration Deadlines
Both Declare Yourself and Rock the Vote have compiled registration deadlines for all 50 states and D.C. Most of the deadlines appear to fall in October.
General Information on Voting
The folloring sites contain general information helpful to voters.
Rock the Vote – Rock the Vote and Credo have pulled together an extensive collection of resources for voters. The FAQ section covers everything you'll need to know from voter ID laws to what to do if you believe your rights have been violated. Go to site.
Smart Voter – This is the League of Women Voters's extensive non-partisan voting resource. See who is on the ballots in your district. Learn whom to contact to check on your voter registion. Review the dates of upcoming deadlines. The FAQ section can be quite helpful for first-time voters. Go to site.
Declare Yourself – A national nonpartisan site dedicated to encouraging every eligible 18-year-old citizen to register and vote in the 2008 election. The FAQ section covers a majority of the questions that may come up for first-time voters. Go to site.
Secretaries of State – Voting information can often be found on your Secretary of State's web site. The National Association of Secretaries of States provides links to members' sites here. Rock the Vote also lists telephone numbers and links to Secretaries' web sites here.
Locate Your Polling Place or Election Official
Polling Location – Not sure where to vote. Either VOTE411.org (provides the address as well as map) or Rock the Vote's Voting Process page will help you locate your polling place.
Election Official – Touting it as the most up-to-date and comprehensive directory of election office contact information available, here the Overseas Voter Foundation has a tool to locate your local election official's contact information.
Review Your Ballot Beforehand
Before heading to the polls, see who is running on your local ticket by using the Smart Voter ballot locator. Just enter your street address and zip code in the Smart Voter web application found above on the sidebar to the right.
Voting While Overseas
Overseas Vote Foundation – A useful resource for overseas citizens interested in registering and voting. This site also includes sections specifically for the overseas youth vote as well as military voter services. Go to site.
Voting After a Criminal Conviction
Having one's right to vote reinstated after a criminal conviction varies from state to state depending on the law. For a state-by-state guide to felony disenfranchisement laws around the country, download our map.
If you have problems registering to vote because of a felony conviction in your past, you should contact Election Protection at the number provided below.
Click here for more detailed information about some state laws, as well as information about the Brennan Center's state-based advocacy to restore the right to vote for people with criminal convictions.
Election Terms Glossary
U.S. Election Assistance Commission – This site has a glossary of election terms translated in six languages. Go to site.
Reporting Problems Registering or Voting
Trouble registering? Long lines? Poll workers not allowing you to vote even though you registered? Broken machines? Speak up, get the facts, and report problems.
The Election Protection coalition has a voter protection hotline for voting problems. Lawyers will be on hand to take information and provide assistance. Call 866-OUR-VOTE.
Gathering this information is crucial for future outreach and activism. With it, voting rights activists can better focus their efforts to ensure every eligible voter can go to the polls and cast a ballot that will be counted.
Voting Rights Issues – Seaching for a clear definition of "voter caging"? Perhaps you would like examples of election day problems? Find the important issues facing the voting rights and elections community here, conveniently grouped by the Brennan Center in one place with definitions. Topics have been arranged according to voter registration and voting issues.
Click here for the resource page.
Voter Checklist Pamphlet
The Brennan Center for Justice, along with the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights, created the a voter checklist pamphlet, ideal for handing out during registration drives. Simply download the file, print, cut, and distribute
To view the checklist or to download low and hi-res PDFs of this handout, click here.
