When is the voter registration deadline in my state for the 2026 election?

How to read this table

• Register by is the state's registration deadline for that election as recorded in VoteU's dataset. Some states also offer same-day or election-day registration in person, which is not a separate column here, so check the official link if you are past the date.
• Absentee by is the deadline to request an absentee or mail ballot. The deadline to return a completed ballot is a different, later date set by your state and is not in this dataset.
• Official site goes to that jurisdiction's own election authority. That page, not this one, is the authority on its own rules.

Where the deadlines cluster

Federal law puts a ceiling on how early a state can cut off registration for a federal election: a state must accept applications submitted "not later than the lesser of 30 days, or the period provided by State law, before the date of the election" (52 U.S.C. § 20507(a)(1)). In practice most states sit at or just under that ceiling, which is why the median in our dataset is 21 days. 3 jurisdictions in the dataset carry a deadline of election day itself: New Hampshire, North Dakota, Vermont.

Primaries have their own deadlines

The table above covers the November 3, 2026 general election only. Primaries, municipal elections, and special elections each carry their own registration deadline, and in a closed primary state your party registration may have its own earlier cutoff. Your VoteU state page lists every election we track for that state, each with its own dates.