Where and How You Can Vote on Election Day

Elections|What’s astatine stake? Is it excessively precocious to registry to vote? Making consciousness of Election Day.

Just due to the fact that it’s an odd-numbered twelvemonth — a hiatus from Electoral College mathematics and midterm machinations — doesn’t mean that Tuesday’s elections are lacking nationalist implications and drama.

There is an array of cardinal races crossed the country, from gubernatorial contests successful Virginia and New Jersey to mayoral elections successful New York City, Boston and Minneapolis, wherever voters volition besides determine the aboriginal of that city’s embattled constabulary department. In Pennsylvania, a authorities Supreme Court spot — an elected presumption — is astatine stake, arsenic are a multitude of municipal schoolhouse boards and different section offices.

Here’s a guide to wherever and however you tin vote.

Is determination an predetermination wherever I live?

If you unrecorded successful Colorado, Maine, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia oregon Washington State, you person statewide elections connected Tuesday. By utilizing Vote411 and entering your address, you tin find retired much astir much astir the elections wherever you live.

How tin I find retired what I’m voting on?

Each authorities and galore municipalities typically station copies of illustration ballots online truthful that voters tin familiarize themselves with the candidates and referendum questions. Vote411 besides keeps a afloat database of races.

Where bash I vote?

If you privation to ballot successful person, each authorities has an online portal wherever you tin look up your polling determination and hours (and spot if you person early-voting options).

Do I request to amusement identification?

Some states necessitate voters to amusement identification. You tin find retired here whether your authorities has an ID requirement, and if so, what forms of ID qualify.

What if I’m turned away?

Most states are required to connection residents a provisional ballot if canvass workers can’t find your registration, which tin hap if there’s a clerical error. Be definite to inquire for a provisional ballot, which volition beryllium counted erstwhile predetermination officials verify your registration.

Can I ballot by mail?

Many states necessitate mail-in ballots to beryllium postmarked by Election Day, truthful if you haven’t requested 1 by now, it whitethorn beryllium excessively late. Depending connected your state, you whitethorn beryllium capable to prime up and instrumentality a message ballot astatine an predetermination office.

How bash I study elector suppression?

You tin contact the predetermination office for your authorities oregon territory, oregon you tin file a report with the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department. The Justice Department besides runs a voting rights hotline astatine 1-800-253-3931. The American Civil Liberties Union runs a nonpartisan hotline astatine 1-866-OUR-VOTE.

When volition we cognize results?

Votes formed successful idiosyncratic connected Tuesday volition beryllium counted by that night, though authorities laws alteration for erstwhile predetermination workers tin commencement counting mail-in ballots. If a contention turns retired to beryllium lopsided, a victor could beryllium declared soon aft the polls close. Be prepared to hold until precocious Tuesday nighttime — oregon beyond — if it is simply a choky contest.