How to Update Your Voter Registration After Your Move

With the myriad of chores facing those who move, registering to vote in a new community often gets lost in the shuffle.

U.S. Election Assistance Commission

Fortunately, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) has made the task much easier. The EAC is an independent, bipartisan commission created in 2002 by the Help America Vote Act.

Among its responsibilities is maintaining the national mail voter registration form.

Registering to vote

At the EAC website, you’ll be able to access the national mail voter registration form. You can print, complete, and mail the form to the voter registration office to the state of your new home. The form also lists pertinent information for each state, including the mailing address to which to send the completed form.

It is available in Spanish, as well.

State exemptions

Every state accepts the national voter registration form, except North Dakota (which doesn’t register voters), Wyoming (against state law) and New Hampshire (only accepted as a request for its own mail-in form).

Contact your local state election office

The EAC also has contact information for your state election office, where you can find local voter information in your new community. Many local agencies now have social media accounts with updates on things like election dates and registration deadlines.

You can also register to vote if you apply for a new driver’s license—or at any local government agency that offers public assistance, thanks to the National Voter Registration Act of 1993. Be aware, however, that six states are exempt, according to the NVRA site: Idaho, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Based on an original article by Rick Hazeltine.