Can You Register To Vote With Just A Driver's License

Practise You Need a Commuter'due south License to Vote?

Flat man driver license plastic card template, id card vector illustration.

We're a long fashion from November 2020. But the Autonomous debates and candidature have already begun, so naturally people take one eye on the issues and another on the polls. And we hateful bodily voters voting, not just how candidates will fare at the polls.

Under the guise of cracking downward on voter fraud, states accept been making significant changes to voter registration requirements and identification needed to cast votes. Does that mean you have to make a trip to the DMV if you desire to head to the polls on election day?

Voting on the DL

In order to vote in federal elections (similar the one coming up) you must still exist registered to vote in your land. And federal voting police mandates that you must either provide a driver's license or the last four digits of your social security number at the time of registration. Alternatively, you must provide some proof of your identity at your local polling booth when you go vote.

State requirements on acceptable forms of ID at the polls can vary, but y'all may be asked to present your commuter's license or state ID card, passport, employee, student, or armed forces ID, or utility bills, bank statements, or paychecks to confirm your identity. At least 34 states at present crave some class of ID at the polls, so check with your local ballot commission to ostend what y'all'll need to register beforehand and what you'll need to present at the polls to cast your vote. Having a driver's license may help with registration and voting, merely it is not a prerequisite in many states.

Additionally -- and this is very important -- the federal Help America Vote Act allows voters who fail to provide proof of identity at the polling berth to cast conditional ballots. While provisional ballots will not be counted in the results unless yous confirm your identity in a timely manner later y'all vote, you lot take the right to vote and the right to know if their vote was counted or not.

Licensing Later the Fact?

In some circumstances, you lot may be required to get a commuter's license after y'all register to vote and cast your ballot. New Hampshire, for example, passed a new voter ID that eliminated four words from the definition of resident: "for the indefinite hereafter." That means anyone who registers to vote in the state is non just proverb they are domiciled in the state, simply declaring their permanent residency. And that, in turn, could trigger motor vehicle registration laws that require whatever new residents to obtain a state-issued driver'due south license within 60 days or confront fines or possible jail time.

As we noted, some college students and the American Civil Liberties Spousal relationship are challenging the law, but their prospects don't look good. And then those in New Hampshire, and other states with similar registration requirements, may be required to get a driver'due south license after registering to vote.

State voter registration and ID laws remain in flux, and these bug volition only be more magnified the closer we get to Ballot Day. So, if you have questions about voter registration or are worried well-nigh being able to cast your election, contact a local chaser for help.

Related Resources:

Find Your Lawyer (FindLaw'due south Lawyer Directory)
Update on Voter Fraud Laws: What Do They Actually Prevent? (FindLaw'southward Law and Daily Life)
Voter Registration Roundup: Top 5 Legal Issues (FindLaw's Police force and Daily Life)
Voting Rights (FindLaw'southward Learn Nearly the Law)