Voting Rights Fact Sheets

Alabama has restrictive vote by mail policies, including a requirement that voters must have an excuse to vote by mail and that voters cannot complete their ballot independently because it requires notarization or a witness signature. The state only meets three of the seven criteria.

For more information on voting in Alabama, visit www.vote411.org/alabama.

Additional Information on Voting Laws in Alabama

• Early Voting
  • Alabama does not offer early in-person voting.
• Voter ID
  • Alabama has had a strict voter ID law in place for over 10 years. A voter must provide a photo ID to vote in-person, such as an Alabama driver’s license, U.S. passport, or a valid student or employee ID with a photo from an Alabama college or university. The Secretary of State must issue a free Alabama voter ID card to any voter that does not have a valid photo ID.
  • Alabama voters must also submit a copy of their photo ID when applying to vote by mail.
  • In 2020, voters approved a ballot measure that amended the state constitution to give voting rights only to U.S. citizens. This requires voters to provide “satisfactory evidence of United States Citizenship” to register to vote, which includes a U.S. passport, driver’s license, naturalization documents, and/or “any evidence that the applicant believes demonstrates the applicant’s United States citizenship.”
• Access to Polling Locations
  • Alabama has not passed any recent laws that reduce access to polling locations, although the state has shuttered some polling locations in recent years.
• Felon Disenfranchisement
  • Alabama’s Constitution bans individuals convicted of crimes of “moral turpitude” from voting. In 2017, the Alabama legislature passed the Felony Voter Disqualification Act, which defines the crimes that constitute “moral turpitude.” An individual who has been disenfranchised because of a felony conviction must complete their sentence, receive a pardon, or complete probation or parole to be eligible to register or reregister to vote. They must also pay all outstanding fines, court costs, fees, and restitution ordered by the court at the time of sentencing before they can register or re-register to vote.
• Disinformation Campaigns
  • Prior to 2020, Alabama did not have a law expressly addressing disinformation related to elections.
  • The law prohibits any person from distributing or entering into an agreement to distribute “materially deceptive media” within 90 days of an election if (i) the person knows the media falsely represents who it depicts, (ii) the person intends to harm the reputation of the person the media depicts, (iii) that reputational harm is likely to occur, and (iv) the person intends to change voting patterns of electors.
  • Defines “materially deceptive media” as media that (i) falsely depicts an individual engaging in speech or conduct in which the depicted individual did not in fact engage, (ii) a reasonable viewer or listener would incorrectly believe that the depicted individual engaged in the speech or conduct depicted, and (iii) was produced by artificial intelligence (“AI”).
  • There is an exception if the creator of the media clearly disclaims that the content did not occur and has been manipulated by technical means. If appropriate, the media must cite to the original, unedited source.
• Vote by Mail
  • Eligibility: Alabama voters must have an excuse to cast an absentee ballot. Alabama law lists permissible excuses to vote by mail, including a voter being out of the county or state on election day, having an illness such that they cannot go to the polls, or being incarcerated but not convicted of a felony that would prevent the individual from being an eligible voter. Elderly voters and voters with disabilities are not automatically eligible to vote-by-mail unless they meet one of the listed excuses.
  • ID Requirement: To request a vote-by-mail ballot, a voter must print or request a physical vote-by-mail application and submit the completed application alongside a copy of their photo ID in-person or via mail.
  • Timing and Process: Vote-by-mail applications returned by mail must be received no later than seven days before the election. Vote-by-mail applications returned by hand must be returned no later than five days before the election. Absentee ballots must be received no later than noon on election day.
  • Other: A voter needs two witnesses to sign their absentee ballot (or have the ballot notarized).

Arkansas has some restrictive vote by mail policies, including a requirement that voters must have an excuse to vote by mail and that voters need to include a copy of their ID in order for their application to be valid. The state meets four of the seven criteria.

For more information on voting in Arkansas, visit www.vote411.org/arkansas.

Additional Information on Voting Laws in Arkansas

• Early Voting
  • Arkansas offers early in-person absentee voting, which begins 15 days prior to a preferential primary or general election and ends the Monday before the election. Early voting is available at designated early voting locations that must be open between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on weekdays and between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on Saturdays. Early voting polling locations must close at 5:00 p.m. on the Monday before the election. Early voting is prohibited on state holidays. Early voting is available for other primaries and general runoff elections seven days before the election through the day before the election during the county clerk’s regular business hours.
• Voter ID
  • Arkansas voters must present a photo ID to vote in person. There are eight acceptable forms of ID including a driver’s license, photo ID card, concealed handgun carry license, U.S. passport, U.S. military ID document, and voter verification card issued under Ark. Code §7-5-324. Voters must provide a copy of their ID when returning a completed absentee ballot. First-time voters must also provide (1) verification of their voter registration or (2) a copy of a current and valid photo ID or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document. This requirement does not apply if the first time voter (1) registered to vote by mail and provided ID when they registered or (2) registered to vote by mail and submitted their driver’s license number or last four digits of their Social Security number, and this number matches existing state ID information for the Individual.
• Access to Polling Locations
  • County Boards of Election can establish one or more polling locations, which are called vote centers. Vote centers cannot be changed within 60 days of a preferential primary or general election, except in the event of an emergency.
• Felon Disenfranchisement
  • The Arkansas Constitution prevents any person who has “been convicted of a felony and [has] not discharged their sentence or been pardoned” from voting. An individual who has been convicted of a felony can register to vote if they have “been discharged from probation or parole, […] paid all probation or parole feels, or […] satisfied all terms of imprisonment, and paid all applicable court costs, fines, or restitution.” The individual must provide “the county clerk with proof from the appropriate state or local agency” that they are eligible and, once they do, “the felon shall be deemed eligible to vote.” The Department of Correction, the Department of Community Correction, the appropriate probation office, or the circuit clerk must provide the individual convicted of a felony with “[p]roof that the felon has been discharged from probation or parole, paid all probation or parole fees, or satisfied all terms of imprisonment, and paid all applicable court costs, fines, or restitution…after completion of the probation, parole, or sentence.” The circuit clerk or any entity responsible for collection must provide the Department of Correction, the Department of Community Correction, or the appropriate probation office with proof that the felony has “paid all applicable court costs, fines, or restitution.”
• Vote by Mail
  • Eligibility: Voters must have an excuse to vote by mail, including if they (1) will “be unavoidably absentee from his or her voting place” on election day, (2) will be unable to go to the polls on election day because of illness or disability, or (3) will be observing a religious discipline or holiday during the 12 hours the polls are open on election day.
  • ID Requirement: Voters must include a copy of their ID when returning a completed absentee ballot.
  • Timing and Process: Absentee ballot applications, if returned by mail, must be received by the county clerk no later than seven days before election day. The deadline for a voter to return an absentee ballot application in person at the county clerk’s office is the time the county clerk’s office regularly closes on the Friday before an election.
  • Other: Arkansas has signature matching and county clerks must verify the signature on a voter’s vote by mail application to the signature on the voter registration application. A voter can also request an absentee ballot “in lieu of the application form” by letter or postcard, which must contain sufficient information for the county board and county clerk.

Florida meets five of the seven criteria. It has fairly lenient vote by mail policies, including no-excuse absentee voting and an application process that can be completed without a printer. However, the state recently passed a law that tightened the identification requirements and allowed less time for voters to submit absentee ballot applications.

For more information on voting in Florida, visit www.vote411.org/florida.

Additional Information on Voting Laws in Florida

• Early Voting
  • Early voting begins on the tenth day before a federal or state election and ends on the third day before an election. Election supervisors can offer early voting up to 15 days before an election until the second day before an election, including on weekends. Counties must hold early voting at the main or branch office of the Supervisor of Elections and the Supervisor can designate other early voting sites. Additional early voting sites must be in a geographic location that provides equal opportunity to vote for all voters in a county and must provide sufficient parking. Counties must operate at least as many early voting sites as they did in the 2012 general election. Early voting sites must be open at least eight hours and no more than 12 hours per day.
• Voter ID
  • Florida voters must present a current and valid photo ID to vote in person. Florida law lists twelve forms of acceptable photo ID, including a Florida driver’s license, U.S. passport, debit or credit card, military ID, and student ID. A 2021 law added a photo ID requirement for absentee ballot applications, but voters do not need to include a copy of their photo ID when returning a completed absentee ballot.
• Access to Polling Locations
  • The Board of County commissioners in each county (with the recommendation and approval of the supervisor) establishes voting precincts in the county. Each precinct must contain one polling location that is “accessible to the public on election day.” The county supervisor of elections must “designate a polling place at a suitable location” in each precinct. The supervisor can move the location of a polling place, as long as it is not less than thirty days before an election, if the supervisor determines that the “accommodations” for the designated polling place are unavailable, are “inadequate for the expeditious and efficient housing and handling of voting,” or do not comply with Fla. Statute § 101.715, which requires polling places to be “accessible and usable by people with disabilities.” The supervisor must mail each registered voter notice of the change of polling place at least 14 days before an election.
• Felon Disenfranchisement
  • The Florida Constitution bars any person convicted of a felony from “be[ing] qualified to vote…until restoration of civil rights.” Before 2018, Florida disenfranchised all individuals who had felony convictions unless they had their voting rights restored by the State Board of Executive Clemency. In 2018, Florida voters passed Amendment 4, which “restore[d] the voting rights of Floridians with felony convictions after they complete all terms of their sentence including parole or probation” except if they had been convicted of murder or sexual offenses. In 2019, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed SB 7066 into law, requiring returning citizens to pay off legal-financial obligations (LFOs) ordered by the court as part of the sentence before their voting rights would be restored. Now, an individual’s voting rights “shall be restored upon completion of all terms of sentence including parole or probation” and full payment of fines, fees, and restitution ordered as part of the sentence. This does not apply to individuals convicted of murder or a felony sexual offense.
• Disinformation Campaigns
  • Prior to 2020, Florida did not have a law expressly addressing disinformation related to elections.
  • Florida requires all political advertisements that contain any content created in whole or in part with the use of generative AI to contain a disclaimer if (i) the generated content appears to depict a real person performing an action that did not actually occur and (ii) the content was created with intent to injure a candidate or to deceive electors regarding a ballot issue.
  • The disclaimer must state: “Created in whole or in part with the use of generative AI.”
  • Unlike many other statutes that provide a right of action to the falsely depicted individual, Florida allows any person to file a complaint alleging a violation with the Florida Elections Commission.
• Vote by Mail
  • Eligibility: Florida has no-excuse absentee voting. The following people can request an absentee ballot for a voter: the voter’s immediate family member (i.e., spouse, parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling), the voter’s spouse’s parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling, the voter’s legal guardian, or the voter’s designee (for voters with disabilities).
  • ID Requirement: Vote-by-mail applications must include the voter’s name, address, date of birth, and ID number (the voter’s Florida driver’s license number, Florida ID card, or last four digits of their social security number). If the request is being made on behalf of the voter, the requestor must include their ID information (the requestor’s Florida driver license number, ID card number, or last four digits of their social security number) on the vote-by-mail application.
  • Timing and Process: A request for an absentee ballot to be mailed by 5 p.m. on the 12th day before the election. Ballots must be received (regardless of when they are postmarked) by 7 p.m. on election day. Ballots can be returned by mail or in person.

Georgia meets five of the seven criteria. It has fairly lenient vote by mail policies, including no-excuse absentee voting and an application process that can be completed without a printer. However, the state recently passed a law that tightened the identification requirements and allowed less time for voters to submit absentee ballot applications.

For more information on voting in Georgia, visit www.vote411.org/georgia.

Additional Information on Georgia’s Voting Laws

• Early Voting
  • Early voting begins on the fourth Monday before a primary or general election and polling locations must be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (and registrars may extend hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.). Early voting polling locations must also be open on the second and third Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (but no longer than 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.) and county registrars have the option to hold early voting on the second and/or third Sunday with exceptions for holidays.
• Voter ID
  • Voters must provide ID to vote in person. Acceptable forms of ID include:
    • A valid state or federal government-issued photo ID, a Georgia driver’s license (even if expired), a student ID from a Georgia public college or university, U.S. passport; and U.S. military photo ID.
  • SB 202 mandated a photo-ID requirement for vote-by-mail applications and ballots. Voters must include their driver’s license or state ID number on both their absentee ballot application and completed ballot or, if they do not have a driver’s license or state ID, a copy of an acceptable voter ID when applying for and submitting an absentee ballot.
• Access to Polling Locations
  • SB 202 banned mobile polling locations unless the Governor declares a state of emergency.
  • SB 202 also made it a criminal offense for individuals and groups to “offer to give, or participate in the giving of any money or gifts,” including food and drink, to voters in line at polling locations (also known as “line warming”).
    • Voting rights groups successfully challenged this provision of SB 202 and, in August 2023, obtained a preliminary injunction on the “line-warming” ban. While the decision is currently on appeal, state officials are “enjoined from enforcing the Penalty Provision [of SB 202 that imposes criminal penalties for violation of the food, drink, and gift ban], initiating criminal prosecutions or otherwise imposing criminal penalties for violations of [the food, drink, and gift ban].”
• Felon Disenfranchisement
  • Georgia law prohibits anyone with a felony conviction “involving moral turpitude” from “register[ing]…or vot[ing] except upon completion of the sentence.” Georgia law does not define what felonies involve moral turpitude. In practice, state officials have interpreted this broadly, meaning that all individuals convicted of felonies lose their voting rights. An individual’s felony sentence is not complete until they complete incarceration, parole, and felony probation. They must also pay their fines and fees. There are limited circumstances in which an individual with a felony conviction does not lose their right to vote: (1) if they have an unrevoked first offender status for the felony conviction and no subsequent felony conviction; (2) if they pled “nolo contendere” for a felony crime; or (3) if they were conditionally discharged for drug possession (and this discharge was not revoked).
• Vote by Mail
  • Eligibility: Georgia has no-excuse absentee voting.
  • ID Requirement: A voter must include their Georgia driver’s license number or non-driver ID number on absentee ballot applications and ballots returned by mail. A voter who does not have a Georgia driver’s license or non-driver ID issued by the Georgia Department of Driver Services must affirm their lack of either form of ID on the absentee ballot application and provide an alternate form of ID. The alternate acceptable forms of ID include a U.S. Passport, Georgia voter ID card, valid state or federal government-issued ID, U.S. Military ID, Georgia or U.S. government employee ID, tribal ID, or a document that shows your name and address such as a utility bill, bank statement, or paycheck. The voter must also provide the last four digits of their social security number on the outer envelope of the absentee ballot package.
  • Timing and Process: Absentee ballot applications must be received no later than 11 days before a primary or general election. Voters may return their absentee ballot application online, by email, by mail, or by fax. If a voter returns their absentee ballot by mail, they must write their name, signature, driver’s license or ID number (or affirm they do not have such a number), their date of birth, and the last four digits of their social security number.
  • Other: Georgia does not require signature matching, but absentee ballot applications and/or ballots can be rejected for missing or invalid information (such as a missing signature). A voter must return their completed ballot with the two envelopes supplied by the registrar or absentee ballot clerk’s office. The smaller envelope will contain the voter’s completed ballot and the larger envelope will contain the voter’s oath and the oath for the person assisting the voter (if applicable) and the voter’s ID information.

Louisiana requires an excuse to vote by mail, which limits the accessibility of voting in the state. However, Louisiana meets five of the seven criteria. It has fairly lenient vote by mail policies for those that are eligible, including an application process that can be completed without a printer.

For more information on voting in Louisiana, visit www.vote411.org/louisiana.

Additional Information on Voting Laws in Louisiana

• Early Voting
  • Early voting begins 18 days prior to a presidential election or 14 days prior to any scheduled election, and ends seven days before the election. If a holiday falls within the early voting period, early voting begins one day earlier. Early voting takes place at each parish’s registrar’s office from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. A parish registrar may designate additional locations for early voting and set the hours for such locations, with the approval of the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State may develop and implement early voting at additional locations within any parish and can select locations based on feasibility, accessibility, and number of registered voters.
• Voter ID
  • Louisiana voters must present a photo ID to vote in person. Louisiana law lists four forms of acceptable ID: a physical or digital Louisiana driver’s license, Louisiana Special ID card, U.S. military ID, or “some other general recognized picture identification card that contains the name and signature of the applicant.” Individuals who do not have a photo ID may sign an affidavit at the polls attesting that they are the registered voter they purport to be. Qualified voters are not required to provide a copy of their ID when submitting an absentee ballot application or returning a completed absentee ballot. College students, who are first time voters, must additionally enclose a copy of their student ID or fee bill to request an absentee ballot.
• Access to Polling Locations
  • The governing authority of each parish must establish one polling place in a “suitable public building” for each precinct. A polling place cannot be located in a place where alcohol is dispensed to the public, a jail, a mental hospital, an eleemosynary institution, or private property owned, operated, or leased by a candidate in the election. Each polling place must have “sanitary facilities available” and the governing authority must certify to the Secretary of State that “each polling place meets the accessibility standards for individuals with disabilities” adopted by the state. The governing authority must provide multiple precincts in a polling location “if it determines…that to locate multiple polling places within the same polling location would be efficient, cost-effective, and convenient to voters.” Once established, polling places can only be changed with approval by a vote of the parish’s governing authority.
• Felon Disenfranchisement
  • The Louisiana Constitution prohibits an individual who is “under an order of imprisonment for conviction of a felony” (i.e., in prison for a felony conviction) from voting. An individual convicted of a felony must complete probation or parole or, if they are still on probation or parole, have not been incarcerated for the past five years. Louisiana law also prohibits anyone who has been “convicted of a felony offense of election fraud or any other election offense under R.S. § 18:1461.2 and […] is under an order of imprisonment from voting.”
• Vote by Mail
  • Eligibility: Voters must be eligible to vote by mail. Eligible voters include senior citizens (65 years old and older), voters with disabilities (subject to specific types of proof), and students in institutions of higher learning located outside the parish where they are registered to vote and who expect to be out of the parish on election day.
  • ID Requirement: Qualified voters are not required to provide a copy of their ID when submitting an absentee ballot application or returning a completed absentee ballot.
  • Timing and Process: A voter must request their absentee ballots by 4:30 pm on the fourth day before election day. A voter can submit an absentee ballot request online if they have a valid Louisiana driver’s license or Louisiana special identification card, by mail, or in person. A voter must return their absentee ballots by 4:30 pm on the day before election day. An individual cannot return more than one absentee ballot for non-family members.
  • Other: A voter must have one witness for their ballot, unless the voter is a service member or lives abroad. The witness must sign the ballot certificate by hand.

Maryland meets all seven of the criteria and has vote by mail policies that consider historically disenfranchised voters.

For more information on voting in Maryland, visit www.vote411.org/maryland.

Additional Information on Voting Laws in Maryland

• Early Voting
  • Early voting begins the second Thursday before an election and lasts until the Thursday before an election. Early voting centers are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Each county must have at least one early voting center, and the minimum number of early voting centers in a county is based on the county’s number of registered voters. Each county may establish one additional early voting center with agreement from the local and county boards of election and with the approval of the state board.
• Voter ID
  • Maryland does not require voters to provide ID to vote if their name is on the state’s list of registered voters. A voter will be asked to show ID if (1) they previously registered but did not meet registration requirements, (2) their identity is challenged at the polling place, or (3) they registered to vote during early voting on election day or changed their address during early voting. There are five acceptable forms of ID: a Maryland driver’s license, a student ID with a photo, an employee ID with a photo, a passport or other government-issued ID, or a bank statement, paycheck, or utility bill the show the voter’s name and address from the last three months. Maryland voters are not required to submit a copy of their ID with an absentee ballot application or completed absentee ballot.
• Access to Polling Locations
  • Local county boards may “designate the location for polling places in any election district, ward, or precinct in the county.” Each polling place must provide an “environment that is suitable to the proper conduct of an election,” “be located as conveniently as practicable for the majority of registered voters assigned to that precinct,” be in a public building unless a suitable one is unavailable, be in the precinct it serves unless no suitable location can be found, and “be selected and arranged to avoid architectural and other barriers that impede access or voting by elderly and physically disabled voters.” At least six months before each statewide primary election, local boards must submit a polling place plan to the State Board for approval. The State Board must approve a polling place plan if it meets the requirements set forth in Md. Code Elec. Law § 2-303.1(b), § 10-101(a)(2), and “will not negatively affect access to voting for historically disenfranchised communities.” Local boards cannot create or change a polling place location during the 13 weeks prior to a primary election through the day of the general election.
• Felon Disenfranchisement
  • Since 2016, individuals who have been convicted of a felony and “have completed serving a court-ordered sentence of imprisonment” are eligible to vote. This means that individuals convicted of a felony have their voting rights automatically restored after release from prison, even if they are on probation. However, an individual who has “been convicted of buying or selling votes” does not qualify to register to vote.
• Vote by Mail
  • Eligibility: Any eligible voter may vote by mail.
  • ID Requirement: Voters do not need to provide a copy of their ID to request an absentee ballot but must include their Maryland driver’s license number or Maryland ID card number and last four digits of their social security number.
  • Timing and Process: If a voter wants to receive their absentee ballot application by mail, the deadline to submit an application for an absentee ballot is the Tuesday before the election. If a voter wants to receive an absentee ballot via the internet, the deadline to submit the request is the Friday before the election. If a voter requests an absentee ballot in person at their local board office, the deadline to request an absentee ballot is the close of polls on election day. A voter may return their absentee ballot application and absentee ballot via mail, in person, or using a drop box.
  • Other: All voters are eligible for “permanent absentee ballot status.” If voters request to be placed on the permanent absentee ballot list, they will be sent an absentee ballot for each election they are eligible to vote in. A voter can also designate an “agent” to pick up and deliver their absentee ballot. The agent must be at least 18 years old, may not be a candidate on the ballot, must be designated in writing by the voter, and must execute an affidavit that the ballot was delivered to the voter who submitted the application, marked and placed in an envelope by the voter (or with assistance as permitted by law) in the agent’s presence, and returned to the local board by the agent.

Michigan meets all seven of the criteria and has a permanent absentee voter list where any voter can automatically receive absentee ballots for every election.

For more information on voting in Michigan, visit www.vote411.org/michigan.

Additional Information on Voting Laws in Michigan

• Early Voting
  • Early voting begins nine days before an election, on the second Saturday prior to the election and ends the Sunday before the election. Municipalities may offer up to 28 days of additional early voting at their discretion. The legislative body in each municipality must provide a “suitable early voting site for each precinct.” An early voting site can serve up to six precincts and multiple municipalities. Each early voting place must be open for at least eight hours per day.
• Voter ID
  • Michigan voters are required to provide photo ID to vote in person. There are eight acceptable forms of ID: a Michigan driver’s license, Michigan personal ID card, a current driver’s license or personal ID card from another state (with photo), a federal, state, or local government-issued photo ID, a U.S. passport, a military photo ID, a student photo ID card, or a tribal photo ID card. If a voter does not have any of those forms of photo ID, they can sign an affidavit and vote on a regular ballot. Michigan voters are not required to provide a copy of their ID when requesting or voting with an absentee ballot.
• Access to Polling Locations
  • The legislative body in each municipality must provide a “suitable polling place for each precinct.” A polling place must be a “publicly owned or controlled building” such as a municipal building or a school building “unless it is not possible or convenient to use a publicly owned or controlled building as a polling place.” A polling place or early voting site cannot be designated as a building that is “owned or leased by an elected official, an individual who is a candidate, or a person that is regulated under the Michigan campaign finance act.” Polling places must be accessible and comply with the Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act and the Help America Vote Act of 2002. The county legislative board or board of county election commissioners cannot establish, move, or abolish a polling place less than 60 days before an election “unless necessary…because a polling place…has been damaged, destroyed, or rendered inaccessible or unusable.” If temporary changes are made to polling locations because a polling location is inaccessible or unusable, the clerk must provide notice to voters.
• Felon Disenfranchisement
  • Michigan law prevents anyone who has been convicted of a crime “in a court of this state or another state or in federal court…for which the penalty imposed is confinement in jail or prison” from voting. An individual who is “confined in a jail and who is otherwise a qualified elector may, before trial or sentence, register to vote.” Those individuals are “considered a resident of the city or township, and address, at which he or she resided before confinement.”
• Disinformation Campaigns
  • Prior to 2020, Michigan did not have a law expressly addressing disinformation related to elections.
  • Michigan law prohibits distributing “materially deceptive media” within 90 days of an election if (i) the person knows the media falsely depicts another individual, (ii) the person intends to harm the reputation or electoral prospects of a candidate and that result is likely to occur, and (iii) the person intends to change voting behaviors of the electorate by deceiving them with the distributed media.
  • This prohibition does not apply if the media includes a disclaimer that the media has been manipulated by technical means and depicts speech or conduct that did not occur.
• Vote by Mail
  • Eligibility: Any eligible Michigan voter can vote by mail.
  • ID Requirement: Voters are not required to provide a copy of their ID when requesting or voting with an absentee ballot.
  • Timing and Process: Voters can request and submit an absentee ballot application online. The deadline to submit an online application is 5 p.m. on the Friday before election day. The deadline to submit an in-person absentee ballot application is 4 p.m. on the day before election day. Completed absentee ballots must be received by the voter’s local clerk’s office by 8 p.m. on election day.
  • Other: Voters can request to be placed on the permanent absentee voter list and receive absentee voters for all future elections unless the request is rescinded, the voter is no longer qualified to vote, the secretary of state or clerk receives reliable information that the voter moves, or the voter does not vote for six consecutive years. Voters must sign their absentee ballot and local clerks review the signatures to “confirm its validity” and can reject the voter’s ballot if they determine that a signature is not valid.

Mississippi requires an excuse to vote by mail, which limits the accessibility of voting in the state. However, Mississippi meets five of the seven criteria. It has fairly lenient vote by mail policies for those that are eligible, including an application process that can be completed without a printer.

For more information on voting in Mississippi, visit www.vote411.org/mississippi.

Additional Information on Voting Laws in Mississippi

• Early Voting
  • Mississippi does not offer early voting.
• Voter ID
  • In 2011, Mississippi amended its state Constitution to add a photo ID requirement for in-person voting. To vote in person, a voter must present a valid photo ID, such as a current and valid Mississippi driver’s license or other government-issued state ID, U.S. passport, government-issued employment ID card, Mississippi firearm license, tribal ID card, military ID card, or student ID card. A voter does not need to include a copy of their photo ID to request a mail-in absentee ballot or return a completed mail-in absentee ballot, except for first time Mississippi voters who did not provide ID when they registered.
• Access to Polling Locations
  • Governing authorities of each municipality are responsible for dividing the municipality into a “sufficient number” of voting precincts. The authority conducting an election is not required to establish a polling place in each precinct, but “may locate and establish such polling places, without regard to precinct lines, in such manner as in the discretion of such authority will better accommodate the electorate and better facilitate the holding of the election.” Curbside voting must be available to physically disabled voters during the hours polls are open.
• Felon Disenfranchisement
  • Section 241 of Mississippi’s Constitution imposes a lifetime ban on voting for any individual who has been “convicted of murder, rape, bribery, theft, arson, obtaining money or goods under false pretense, perjury, forgery, embezzlement or bigamy.” If an individual has been convicted of one of the enumerated offenses, the Governor, at their discretion, may pardon the individual and restore their voting rights. The state legislature can also restore an individual’s voting rights but this process is not often used, as it requires a bill to be passed by both houses and signed by the Governor. Before an individual can have their voting rights restored, they must no longer be incarcerated, on probation, on parole, or have outstanding fines and fees. An individual who has been convicted of a crime in another state or a crime that is not listed in the Mississippi Constitution does not lose their right to vote.
• Disinformation Campaigns
  • Prior to 2020, Mississippi did not have a law expressly addressing disinformation related to elections.
  • The law prohibits the dissemination of deepfakes (referred to as “digitization”) within 90 days of an election if (i) the person has actual knowledge that the media is a deepfake, (ii) the media is disseminated without the consent of the depicted individual, and (iii) the media is disseminated with either the intent to injure the candidate, influence the results of an election, or deter any person from voting.
• Vote by Mail
  • Eligibility: Mississippi voters must have an excuse to vote by mail. Individuals who may vote by mail include those who are 65+, individuals who are “required to be away from his or her place of residence” on Election Day due to employment, and individuals with temporary or permanent physical disabilities and cannot vote without hardship because of their disability.
  • ID Requirement: A voter does not need to include a copy of their photo ID to request a mail-in absentee ballot or return a completed mail-in absentee ballot, except for first time Mississippi voters who did not provide ID when they registered.
  • Timing and Process: Absentee ballots received by mail must be postmarked on or before the date of the election and received by the registrar no more than five business days after the election. Absentee ballots cast in person at the office registrar’s office must be cast and submitted no later than 12:00 noon on the Saturday before election day.
  • Other: Absentee ballot applications and ballots must be signed by the voter and a witness who is designated to administer an oath (such as a notary), unless the voter is disabled, in which case the witness may be any individual over the age of 18.
  • An absentee ballot application or ballot shall be rejected if the voter and an attesting witness do not sign the ballot. An absentee ballot cannot be rejected for a mismatched signature.

New York requires an excuse to vote by mail, which limits the accessibility of voting in the state. However, New York meets five of the seven criteria. It has fairly lenient vote by mail policies for those that are eligible, including an application process that can be completed without a printer.

For more information on voting in New York, visit www.vote411.org/new-york.

Additional Information on Voting Laws in New York

• Early Voting
  • Early voting begins ten days before an election and ends two days before an election. County Boards of Elections designate polling places for early voting. Counties with at least 500,000 registered voters must establish one early voting place for every 40,000 voters. Counties with fewer than 500,000 registered voters must establish one early voting place for every 30,000 voters. Early voting polls must be open on weekdays for at least eight hours between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. and on weekends for at least eight hours between 9:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. County boards of elections may offer extended hours at their discretion.
• Voter ID
  • New York does not require voters to present ID to vote in person unless they did not provide ID with their registration. Voters are not required to provide a copy of an ID when requesting or submitting an absentee ballot.
• Access to Polling Locations
  • Local Boards of Eections must designate polling places in each election district “in consultation with each city, town and village” by March 15th of each year. Whenever possible, polling places should be located in a tax-exempt building. Polling places can be in a building owned by a religious organization or used by such organization as a place of worship, and when a contiguous college or university property has at least three hundred voters registered to an address at the property, there must be a polling place on the property or at a nearby location recommended by the college or university. Polling places must be “accessible to citizens with disabilities and comply with the accessibility guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.” County boards must survey every polling site to “verify substantial compliance with accessibility standards” and, if a polling place does not meet accessibility standards, the county must make necessary changes or modifications, or move to a “verified accessible polling place within six months.” If a district has less than 100 eligible voters, the polling place for such district may be the polling place of any other district, as long as the polling place is not an unreasonable distance away and there is not more than 500 total of persons eligible to vote in the other district.
• Felon Disenfranchisement
  • New York law prohibits any “person who has been convicted of a felony and sentenced to a period of imprisonment” from voting. This applies to anyone who has been convicted of a felony and sentenced to prison in New York, “a felony, or crime or offense which would constitute a felony” under New York law in federal court, or “a crime or offense which would constitute a felony” under New York law in another state’s court.
• Disinformation Campaigns
  • Prior to 2020, New York did not have a law expressly addressing disinformation related to elections.
  • The law requires disclosure if a person distributes or publishes any political communication that was produced by or includes materially deceptive media and the person has actual knowledge that the communication is materially deceptive.
• Vote by Mail
  • Eligibility: A voter may request an absentee ballot if the voter will be or expects to be absent from their county or city on Election Day, has an illness or physical disability or cares for an individual who is ill or disabled, is a resident or patient of a veterans’ health administration hospital, or is awaiting trial or confined in prison and otherwise qualified to vote.
  • ID Requirement: Voters are not required to provide a copy of an ID when requesting or submitting an absentee ballot. Timing and Process: Applications requesting an absentee ballot by mail must be received by the board of elections no later than the tenth day before the election. Applications for an absentee ballot to be picked up in person must be submitted no later than the day before the election. A voter may request an absentee ballot online, in person, or by mail. Absentee ballot must be postmarked before the close of polls on election day and received by the board of elections no later than a week after election day.
  • Other: The board of elections must provide a domestic postage paid return envelope for absentee ballots. Applications must be signed by the voter. An absentee ballot received by mail without a postmark date is presumed to have been timely. A voter may also designate in writing an individual to deliver their application and receive their absentee ballot on the voter’s behalf.

North Carolina meets five of the seven criteria. It has fairly lenient vote by mail policies, including no-excuse absentee voting and an application process that can be completed without a printer. However, the state recently passed a law that eliminates drop boxes so voters must physically hand their ballots to election workers.

For more information on voting in North Carolina, visit www.vote411.org/north-carolina.

Additional Information on Voting Laws in North Carolina

• Early Voting
  • Counties must hold early voting from the third Thursday before an election until no later than the last Saturday before an election at 3 p.m. All early voting sites must be open:
    • At the same location during early voting,
    • During the same times,
    • During weekdays for voting from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.,
    • At all early voting sites for the same Saturday and Sunday hours, and
    • On the last Saturday before the election from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  • Same-day registration is available during early voting. Voters must satisfy registration requirements, which include providing proof of residence and photo ID.
    • A voter’s same day registration can be rejected if an address verification notice is returned as undeliverable. In January 2024, a federal judge temporarily blocked the undeliverable mail provision. State Board of Elections subsequently updated its guidance to comply with the court order and instructed county boards to notify a voter if their address verification card is returned as undeliverable.
• Voter ID
  • In 2018, North Carolina passed a strict voter ID law, SB 824, which listed only ten acceptable forms of voter ID to vote in person. Acceptable forms of voter ID include a North Carolina driver’s license, driver’s license from another state (only if the voter registered in North Carolina within 90 days of the election), and state college or university ID (if it is on the list of IDs approved by the State Board of Elections and is a valid, unexpired ID).
    • In 2022, the state Supreme Court held SB 824 unconstitutional because the statute was motivated “with an impermissible intent to discriminate against African American voters” in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the state constitution. However, after the state Supreme Court flipped later that same year, it agreed to rehear the case and reversed its decision, and the voter ID law went into effect in 2024. There are further legal challenges still pending.
• Access to Polling Locations
  • North Carolina has not passed any recent laws reducing access to polling locations, but there have been reports about the state’s closure of polling locations since the Supreme Court’s decision in Shelby County v. Holder (2013).
• Felon Disenfranchisement
  • North Carolina’s Constitution disqualifies any person guilty of a felony from voting unless they have had their rights restored. North Carolina law requires that, for an individual’s rights to be automatically restored, they must have been “unconditional[ly] discharge[d]” from jail, probation, parole, or post-release supervision (or received an “unconditional pardon.”) Individuals must pay their fines and fees before their voting rights are restored.
• Vote by Mail
  • Eligibility: North Carolina has no-excuse absentee voting. Voters with a sickness or disability that is “expected to last the remainder of the calendar year,” may make an annual request to vote-by-mail in all primaries and general elections during a calendar year.
  • ID Requirement: When requesting a vote-by-mail ballot, a voter must include their driver’s license number or the last four digits of their social security number and signature on their absentee ballot application.
  • Timing and Process: Absentee ballots must be received by 7:30 p.m. on election day. A voter or their near relative or legal guardian can return a completed absentee ballot application and ballot.
  • Other: A voter is required to have two witnesses sign their absentee ballot. Under North Carolina law, it is a Class I felony to assist a voter to vote an absentee ballot unless if the individual assisting is a near relative or legal guardian.

Ohio meets all seven of the criteria. Recent legal challenges have protected inclusive vote by policies in the state.

For more information on voting in Ohio, visit www.vote411.org/ohio.

Additional Information on Voting Laws in Ohio

• Early Voting
  • Early in-person absentee voting begins the day after the close of the state’s voter registration period, which is 30 days prior to an election, and ends at 5:00 p.m. on the Sunday before an election. In-person absentee voting is held at the office of the Board of Elections.
• Voter ID
  • Ohio requires voters to present ID to vote in person. Ohio voters are not required to provide an ID when requesting an absentee ballot or returning a completed ballot, but must provide either (1) the last four digits of their social security number, (2) an Ohio driver’s license or state ID number, or (3) a copy of a form of a current photo ID, including a driver’s license, state ID card, U.S. passport, or U.S. military ID Card.
• Access to Polling Locations
  • The Board of Elections shall provide a polling place for each precinct and “adequate facilities at each polling place” for an election. The Board of Elections should use, as long as practicable, “rooms in public schools and other public buildings for polling places.” The board must also ensure polling places are “free of barriers that would impede…persons with disabilities,” have adequate parking locations for people with mobility disabilities, have entrances with a “nonskid” ramp that meets requirements in the Americans with Disabilities Act, and have doors that are a minimum 32 inches wide. Curbside voting is permitted for any voter who “is physically unable to enter the polling place.”
• Felon Disenfranchisement
  • An individual “who pleads guilty to a felony under [any state or federal law] and whose plea is accepted by the court or a person against whom a verdict or finding of guilt for committing a felony” is rendered loses their right to vote (unless the plea, verdict, or finding is reversed or annulled). An individual convicted of a felony may register to vote once they have been “granted parole, judicial release, or a conditional pardon or [are] released under a non-jail or community control sanction or a post-release control sanction.” This means that individuals on parole or probation can vote. A full pardon of a person who is ineligible to vote because of a felony conviction restores that individual’s voting rights.
• Vote by Mail
  • Eligibility: Any qualified voter can vote by mail.
  • ID Requirement: Voters are not required to provide an ID when requesting an absentee ballot or returning a completed ballot, but must provide either (1) the last four digits of their social security number, (2) an Ohio driver’s license or state ID number, or (3) a copy of a form of a current photo ID, including a driver’s license, state ID card, U.S. passport, or U.S. military ID card.
  • Timing and Process: The deadline to submit an absentee ballot application is the close of business on the seventh day before election day. A voter may return their absentee ballot via mail, in person at the county office of the board of elections, or at a secure drop box outside of the office of the board of elections. Absentee ballots must be postmarked the day before an election to be counted if returned by mail and received by the county by the fourth day after the election. Absentee ballots that are returned in person to the office of the county board must be returned by the close of polls on election day.
  • Other: Voters can request an absentee ballot on January 1 or 90 days before an election (whichever is earlier). Voters must request an absentee ballot for each separate election. An individual may not assist a voter in submitting their absentee ballot unless that person is an immediate family member of the voter, or the voter is disabled.

Pennsylvania meets all seven of the criteria. In addition, it has a permanent absentee voter list where any voter can automatically receive absentee ballots for every election.

For more information on voting in Pennsylvania, visit www.vote411.org/pennsylvania.

Additional Information on Voting Laws in Pennsylvania

• Early Voting
  • Early in-person absentee voting begins 50 days before an election and ends the first Tuesday before an election. Early voting is held at county election offices but can also be made available at additional early voting sites within the county.
• Voter ID
  • Pennsylvania does not require most voters to show ID to vote in person. However, Pennsylvania requires voters that are voting for the first time or for the first time at a polling place to present photo or non-photo ID. Acceptable forms of ID include a Pennsylvania driver’s license or PennDOT ID card, ID issued by any Commonwealth agency, ID issued by the U.S. Government, U.S. passport, U.S. military ID, student ID, or employee ID. Voters that do not have a photo ID can use a non-photo ID to vote if it includes their name and address, such as a current utility bill, bank statement, or paycheck. Pennsylvania voters must provide a current and valid Pennsylvania driver’s license number, PennDOT photo ID card number, or social security number to request an absentee ballot. If a voter does not have any of those numbers, they can provide a copy of a photo ID, including a U.S. passport, military ID, or photo ID issued by a Pennsylvania private or public college.
• Access to Polling Locations
  • The county Board of Elections select polling places within each election district and may change the location of a polling place at any time (after providing notice of a change). Wherever possible, the county board should select schools, municipal buildings, or other public buildings as polling locations. The county board must “make every effort to select polling places that provide all electors with an environment that is free from intimidation and violence.” The county board may exercise discretion to provide mobile polling places for any or all election districts. Temporary polling places are permissible if “no proper polling place can be obtained” in an election district.
• Felon Disenfranchisement
  • The following individuals are not eligible to register and vote: (1) individuals who are “currently confined in a penal institution” for a felony conviction and will not be released from confinement until after the next election, (2) individuals “in a halfway house or other alternative correctional facility on pre-release status for conviction of a felony” and will not be released until after the next election, and (3) individuals who have been convicted of a violation of the Pennsylvania Election Code within the last four years. Individuals in pretrial detention awaiting charges of a felony, individuals who have completed their term of incarceration for a felony conviction and have been or will be released from a correctional facility or halfway house by the next election, individuals on probation or released from parole, and individuals under house arrest are eligible to register and vote.
• Vote by Mail
  • Eligibility: Pennsylvania voters may vote by mail or by absentee ballot. A voter does not need an excuse to vote by mail. A mail in ballot application must be signed by the voter to be valid. A vote may request to be placed on a permanent mail in ballot list at any time. A voter must have an excuse to vote with an absentee ballot. The following voters may vote absentee: (1) registered voters who are unable to go to the polls any primary or election day because of illness or physical disability, (2) registered voters who expect to be absent from the state or their municipality of residence because “duties, occupation or business requires them to be elsewhere on the day of any primary or election,” (3) a county employee who cannot vote due to their duties relating to the conduct of election, (4) a person who cannot go to the polls because they are observing a religious holiday, (5) military service members regardless of whether they will be absent from the county on Election Day, and (6) spouses or dependents of military service members if that individual will be absent on Election Day.
  • ID Requirement: Voters must provide a current and valid Pennsylvania driver’s license number, PennDOT photo ID card number, or last four digits of their social security number to request an absentee or vote by mail ballot. If a voter does not have any of those numbers, they can provide a copy of a photo ID, including a U.S. passport, military ID, or photo ID issued by a Pennsylvania private or public college.
  • Timing and Process: The deadline for mail-in and absentee ballot applications to be received is 5 p.m. on the first Tuesday prior to election day. A voter may apply online, by mail, or at their local county election office. A voter must return and have their absentee ballot received before 8 p.m. on Election Day via mail or in person to county board of election offices.

South Carolina has some restrictive vote by mail policies, including a requirement that voters must have an excuse to vote by mail and that a witness must sign the completed ballot. The state meets five of the seven criteria.

For more information on voting in South Carolina, visit www.vote411.org/south-carolina.

Additional Information on South Carolina’s Voting Laws

• Early Voting
  • South Carolina law requires a two-week early voting period from Monday through Saturday for the two-week period immediately before an election.
    • Counties must keep early voting centers open from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. for statewide general elections. Counties are not allowed to open early voting centers on Sundays or holidays.
  • Voters can vote at any early voting center in their county.
    • The county Boards of Registration and Elections determine early voting locations, but the Executive Director of the State Election Commission “may, at his discretion, direct the move of early voting centers to ensure proper distribution throughout each county.”
• Voter ID
  • A voter is required to present a valid photo ID to vote in person. Valid photo ID includes: a South Carolina driver’s license, South Carolina DMV ID card (including a South Carolina Concealed Weapons Permit), South Carolina voter registration card with photo ID, federal military ID, and U.S. passport. A student ID is not a permissible form of voter ID.
• Access to Polling Locations
  • In 2022, South Carolina passed a law that reduced the number of polling places from one location per 500 voters to one location per 3,000 voters.
• Felon Disenfranchisement
  • Individuals who have been convicted of felonies or misdemeanors involving violations of election law are not eligible to vote until they have served their sentence, including probation and parole (which cannot exceed five years). In South Carolina, an individual must pay fines and fees as a condition of their probation and parole. County boards may determine what an individual is required to show when registering to vote, which may include proof that the individual has completed their sentence.
• Vote by Mail
  • Eligibility: Voters need an excuse to vote-by-mail. A voter may vote-by-mail if they are physically disabled, 65 and older, in the military or a spouse or dependent of a member of the Armed Forces, or in the hospital as an emergency patient within four days before an election or on election day. A voter who is unable to vote in-person during early voting and on election day may vote by mail if they have employment obligations (if the voter presents a written certification of those obligations to the county board); are caring for sick or physically disabled persons; are confined to jail; or will be absent from their county.
  • ID Requirement: Voters do not need to provide a copy of their photo ID to request an absentee ballot but must provide the last four digits of their social security number. Voters may return their ballots by mail or in person to an election office, and must present valid identification, such as a driver’s license, passport, state voter registration card, when returning their ballot.
  • Timing and Process: Requests for absentee ballots by voters who are eligible to vote-by-mail may be made anytime during the calendar year of the election. A voter or their immediate family member may request a voter’s absentee ballot in person, by telephone, or mail from the county board. Absentee ballots must be returned by 5 p.m. eleven days before the election.
  • Other: A voter must have their absentee ballot witnessed by an individual over the age of eighteen; the witness must include their address and printed name. A voter can also authorize a member of their immediate family to return their completed ballot in the return-addressed envelope but the voter must complete an “authorization form” from the State Election Commission that the immediate family member submits when they return the voter’s ballot envelope. The immediate family member must also present photo ID, and the county board will record the immediate family member’s information when they return the ballot. If an individual is an authorized representative or an immediate family member, they cannot request more than five absentee ballots on behalf of other voters (in addition to their own ballot) nor can they return more than five ballots.

Texas has some restrictive vote by mail policies, including a requirement that voters must have an excuse to vote by mail and that voters need to include a copy of their ID in order for their application to be valid. The state meets four of the seven criteria.

For more information on voting in Texas, visit www.vote411.org/texas.

Additional Information on Voting Laws in Texas

• Early Voting
  • Counties must hold early voting beginning 17 days prior to Election Day through the fourth day before Election Day between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. for at least a 9-hour period. For runoff elections, early voting begins on the tenth day before the election.
  • In 2023, Texas passed a law allowing all counties, regardless of population, to offer extended weekend early voting hours. Counties must offer early voting on the last Saturday and Sunday before Election Day for elections involving state and county officers.
  • Counties must hold early voting at a main early voting polling place, at which all voters in the county can vote. Counties also must establish additional temporary branch locations for early voting depending on population thresholds. In 2023, Texas passed a law requiring counties to hold extended weekend early voting at temporary branch locations.
• Voter ID
  • A voter must include a copy of a valid photo ID in their applications to vote by mail and to register to vote in person. Acceptable photo ID includes a Texas driver’s license, Texas Election Identification Certification, Texas handgun license, and U.S. passport. A voter cannot use their student ID to vote in Texas.
• Access to Polling Locations
  • In 2023, Texas passed SB 924, which prevents counties with small numbers of voters from combining precincts.
  • In 2021, a Texas law banned mobile polling locations and “drive-by voting,” so no voters can vote from their car except in limited circumstances for physically disabled or ill voters.
• Felon Disenfranchisement
  • The Texas Constitution bars “persons convicted of any felony” from voting but permits the legislature to make exceptions to this ban. Texas law requires an individual who has been convicted of a felony to be “fully discharged” from their sentence (including incarceration, parole, supervision, or court-ordered probation) in order to be eligible to vote. Texas does not make it clear what satisfies “fully discharged,” but payment of fines and fees are required to be released from supervision.
• Disinformation Campaigns
  • Texas prohibits any person from printing, publishing, or broadcasting political advertising or campaign communication that “purports to emanate from a source other than its true source” with the intent to injure a candidate or influence the election.
  • Texas further prohibits creating and publishing a deepfake video within 30 days of an election with the intent to injure a candidate or influence the election. A deepfake is defined under the law as “a video, created with the intent to deceive, that appears to depict a real person performing an action that did not occur in reality.”
• Vote by Mail
  • Eligibility: A voter must satisfy one of the following excuses to vote by mail: (1) the voter will be absent from their county of residence on election day and during the regular early voting hours; (2) the voter has an illness which means they cannot make it to the polling location without help and without injuring their health, or a pregnancy due within three weeks before or after election day; (3) the voter is 65 years or older on Election Day; or (4) the voter is in jail for a misdemeanor sentence that ends on or after Election Day, is pending trial with no bail, pending an appeal of a felony conviction without bail, or pending trial or an appeal for which release on bail is unlikely before Election Day.
  • ID Requirement: Voters must provide identification when requesting an absentee ballot and submitting a completed ballot.
  • Timing and Process: A voter must return their absentee ballot application directly to a clerk, either in person, online, by mail, e-mail with a scanned document, or by fax at least 11 days before Election Day (unless the 11th day falls on a weekend or holiday). This effectively bans the use of drop boxes.
  • Other: A voter must sign their absentee ballot application and their absentee ballot with a wet signature. Texas law requires signature matching, which is conducted by a signature verification committee, who compares the voter’s signature on the ballot envelope with the voter’s signature on their absentee ballot application.

Virginia meets six of the seven criteria. It has a permanent absentee voter list where any voter can automatically receive absentee ballots for every election.

For more information on voting in Virginia, visit www.vote411.org/virginia.

Additional Information on Voting Laws in Virginia

• Early Voting
  • Early voting runs from the 45th day before an election until 4 p.m. on the Saturday before an election. Early voting is held during regular business hours on weekdays and between 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on the two Saturdays before an election. County and city electoral boards may elect to offer in-person voting on Sundays. Early voting takes place at the office of the general registrar or additional voter satellite offices established by the governing body of any city or county.
• Voter ID
  • In 2011, Virginia passed a photo ID law, which required voters to present a valid form of photo ID to vote in person. There are eight acceptable forms of ID: voter confirmation documents, a valid Virginia driver’s license, valid U.S. passport, any student ID from a Virginia school, a student ID from any U.S. school with a photo of the voter, state ID, employee ID with a photo, or a copy of a current paycheck, bank statement, or utility bill with the voter’s name and address. Virginia voters do not need to include a copy of their ID to request an absentee ballot or to vote by mail.
• Access to Polling Locations
  • The governing body of each county and city shall establish “as many precincts as it deems necessary” and one polling place for each precinct. Each polling place must be located in a public building where practicable. Polling places must be accessible as required by the Virginians with Disabilities Act, the Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Virginia also provides curbside voting for voters 65 and older or with a disability.
• Felon Disenfranchisement
  • Virginia’s Constitution permanently bars anyone with a felony conviction from voting, unless their rights have been restored by the Governor. Virginia is “the only state in the nation that permanently disenfranchises all people with felony convictions, unless the government approves individual rights restoration.” In 2021, then-Gov. Ralph Northam restored the voting rights of over 69,000 Virginians and “announced that going forward, any Virginian released from incarceration will qualify to have their rights restored, even if they remain on community supervision.” In 2023, Gov. Glenn Youngkin reversed this policy of automatic restoration and said that individuals must apply to have their rights restored and that the Governor will consider restoration on a case-by-case basis.
• Vote by Mail
  • Eligibility: Virginia has no-excuse absentee voting.
  • ID Requirement: Virginia voters do not need to include a copy of their ID to request an absentee ballot or to vote by mail. Voters must include the last four digits of their social security number on their vote-by-mail application.
  • Timing and Process: The deadline to return an absentee ballot application is 5:00 p.m. on the eleventh day before an election. The deadline to return an absentee ballot to a drop-off location is 7:00 p.m. on election day. Absentee ballots returned by mail must be postmarked on or before election day and received before noon on the third day after an election.
  • Other: Voters must complete a separate vote-by-mail application for each election. Virginia also maintains a “Permanent Absentee List” for which voters can apply.