Should I register to vote at my campus address or my home address?
Short answer
Both are legal, and you can only be registered in one place at a time. Register at your campus address if you want a vote in the city, county, and state where you spend most of the year. Stay registered at home if you care more about the races there, and vote by absentee ballot from campus.
Last reviewed Jul 24, 2026. Every date below comes from VoteU's election dataset, checked against state election authorities' own pages. VoteU is an independent nonpartisan project, not a government site.
Side by side
| Campus address | Home address | |
|---|---|---|
| What is on your ballot | Federal, state, and local races where your school is | Federal, state, and local races where your family lives |
| How you vote | In person, or by mail if your state allows it | Almost always by absentee or mail ballot |
| Deadline you track | Your campus state's deadline | Your home state's deadline |
| What usually goes wrong | Residency questions in stricter states, and re-registering every time you move | Missed request deadlines, mail that never arrives, signature mismatches |
| Best if | You plan to be in town for the next few years and care about local government | You go home often, or a race back home matters more to you |
How to switch to your campus address
- 1Open your campus state's official registration portal. Your VoteU state page links to it directly.
- 2Register at your campus street address. Registering at a new address is how you move your registration; there is no separate transfer form in most states.
- 3Give your previous address on the form if it asks. That is what triggers the old record to be cancelled.
- 4Check your registration status a week or two later on your state's official lookup, and contact your old county if the old record is still active.
- 5Do all of this before your state's deadline in the table below.
What address do I write for a dorm?
Use the physical street address of your residence hall plus your room or unit, not the campus mailbox number and not a P.O. box. Residence life or the registrar can give you the format your county board of elections expects, and many schools publish it during move-in week specifically for this reason.
Deadlines for the November 3, 2026 general election
51
jurisdictions voting on this date
Oct 4, 2026
earliest registration deadline
Nov 3, 2026
latest registration deadline
21 days
median lead time before election day
| State | Register by | Absentee request by | Official site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Oct 19, 2026 (86d) | Oct 27, 2026 | Alabama elections |
| Alaska | Oct 4, 2026 (71d) | Oct 24, 2026 | Alaska elections |
| Arizona | Oct 5, 2026 (72d) | Oct 23, 2026 | Arizona elections |
| Arkansas | Oct 5, 2026 (72d) | Oct 27, 2026 | Arkansas elections |
| California | Oct 19, 2026 (86d) | Oct 27, 2026 | California elections |
| Colorado | Oct 26, 2026 (93d) | Oct 26, 2026 | Colorado elections |
| Connecticut | Oct 16, 2026 (83d) | Nov 2, 2026 | Connecticut elections |
| Delaware | Oct 10, 2026 (77d) | Oct 30, 2026 | Delaware elections |
| District of Columbia | Oct 13, 2026 (80d) | Oct 19, 2026 | District of Columbia elections |
| Florida | Oct 5, 2026 (72d) | Oct 22, 2026 | Florida elections |
| Georgia | Oct 5, 2026 (72d) | Oct 23, 2026 | Georgia elections |
| Hawaii | Oct 26, 2026 (93d) | Oct 27, 2026 | Hawaii elections |
| Idaho | Oct 23, 2026 (90d) | Oct 23, 2026 | Idaho elections |
| Illinois | Oct 18, 2026 (85d) | Oct 29, 2026 | Illinois elections |
| Indiana | Oct 5, 2026 (72d) | Oct 22, 2026 | Indiana elections |
| Iowa | Oct 19, 2026 (86d) | Oct 19, 2026 | Iowa elections |
| Kansas | Oct 13, 2026 (80d) | Oct 27, 2026 | Kansas elections |
| Kentucky | Oct 5, 2026 (72d) | Oct 20, 2026 | Kentucky elections |
| Louisiana | Oct 5, 2026 (72d) | Oct 30, 2026 | Louisiana elections |
| Maine | Oct 13, 2026 (80d) | Oct 29, 2026 | Maine elections |
| Maryland | Oct 13, 2026 (80d) | Oct 27, 2026 | Maryland elections |
| Massachusetts | Oct 24, 2026 (91d) | Oct 27, 2026 | Massachusetts elections |
| Michigan | Oct 19, 2026 (86d) | Oct 30, 2026 | Michigan elections |
| Minnesota | Oct 13, 2026 (80d) | Nov 2, 2026 | Minnesota elections |
| Mississippi | Oct 5, 2026 (72d) | Oct 31, 2026 | Mississippi elections |
| Missouri | Oct 7, 2026 (74d) | Oct 21, 2026 | Missouri elections |
| Montana | Oct 5, 2026 (72d) | Nov 2, 2026 | Montana elections |
| Nebraska | Oct 16, 2026 (83d) | Oct 23, 2026 | Nebraska elections |
| Nevada | Oct 6, 2026 (73d) | Nov 3, 2026 | Nevada elections |
| New Hampshire | Nov 3, 2026 (101d) | Nov 2, 2026 | New Hampshire elections |
| New Jersey | Oct 13, 2026 (80d) | Oct 27, 2026 | New Jersey elections |
| New Mexico | Oct 6, 2026 (73d) | Oct 20, 2026 | New Mexico elections |
| New York | Oct 24, 2026 (91d) | Oct 24, 2026 | New York elections |
| North Carolina | Oct 9, 2026 (76d) | Oct 20, 2026 | North Carolina elections |
| North Dakota | Nov 3, 2026 (101d) | Nov 2, 2026 | North Dakota elections |
| Ohio | Oct 5, 2026 (72d) | Oct 27, 2026 | Ohio elections |
| Oklahoma | Oct 9, 2026 (76d) | Oct 19, 2026 | Oklahoma elections |
| Oregon | Oct 13, 2026 (80d) | Nov 3, 2026 | Oregon elections |
| Pennsylvania | Oct 19, 2026 (86d) | Oct 27, 2026 | Pennsylvania elections |
| Rhode Island | Oct 4, 2026 (71d) | Oct 13, 2026 | Rhode Island elections |
| South Carolina | Oct 4, 2026 (71d) | Oct 23, 2026 | South Carolina elections |
| South Dakota | Oct 19, 2026 (86d) | Nov 2, 2026 | South Dakota elections |
| Tennessee | Oct 5, 2026 (72d) | Oct 24, 2026 | Tennessee elections |
| Texas | Oct 5, 2026 (72d) | Oct 23, 2026 | Texas elections |
| Utah | Oct 23, 2026 (90d) | Oct 23, 2026 | Utah elections |
| Vermont | Nov 3, 2026 (101d) | Nov 2, 2026 | Vermont elections |
| Virginia | Oct 23, 2026 (90d) | Oct 23, 2026 | Virginia elections |
| Washington | Oct 26, 2026 (93d) | Nov 3, 2026 | Washington elections |
| West Virginia | Oct 13, 2026 (80d) | Oct 28, 2026 | West Virginia elections |
| Wisconsin | Oct 14, 2026 (81d) | Oct 29, 2026 | Wisconsin elections |
| Wyoming | Oct 19, 2026 (86d) | Nov 2, 2026 | Wyoming elections |
Primary sources
Common questions
- Can I be registered at both my campus and my parents' address?
- You should be registered in only one place at a time. Registering at a new address is normally what cancels the old record, and voting in two places in the same federal election is a crime under 52 U.S.C. § 10307(e).
- If I register at school, can I still vote in my home town's local election?
- No. Local races are decided by the voters registered in that jurisdiction, so registering at your campus address takes your home town's local races off your ballot and puts your campus town's races on it.
- I live off campus in an apartment. Does that change anything?
- No. The rule is the same: register at the address where you actually live. An off-campus lease often makes the paperwork easier, because a utility bill or lease in your name is a common proof of address.
- What if I go home for the summer?
- Leaving for the summer does not by itself end your residency at your campus address. What matters is where you live during the year. If you permanently move back, register again at the new address.
Keep reading
Can I vote where I go to college if I am from another state?
Yes.
How do I request an absentee ballot as a college student?
Request your ballot from the election office where you are registered, not the state where your campus is, and get the request in before your state's request deadline.
I moved dorms or apartments. Do I need to update my voter registration?
Yes.
Can I use my student ID to vote?
It depends on your state, and VoteU does not yet track state by state ID lists, so use the official links below for the exact rules where you vote.
When is the voter registration deadline in my state for the 2026 election?
All 51 jurisdictions VoteU covers hold a general election on November 3, 2026.
Want the deadline for your state emailed to you before it passes?
VoteU is free, nonpartisan, and sends nothing but your own dates.