Everything to know about registering to vote online before the 2016 election

No state allows online voting, but a majority lets potential voters register to cast a ballot online. Letting voters register online is more efficient than paper registration and saves states money. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, Washington state election officials saved hundreds of thousands of dollars in one year after implementing online voter registration. 

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 32 states and the District of Columbia allow voters register online. Another six states are in the process of implementing online registration. 

Registering voters online is seen as key to increasing participation of younger voters in elections. Groups such as Rock the Vote have online platforms targeted at registering millennials to vote and getting a sense of what issues matter to younger voters.

To register to vote online, residents usually need a driver's license or another form of state-recognized identification. But some states let residents register without an ID. In place of identification, these states have various ways to verify a citizen's eligibility to vote, like an online interview in California or a Social Security number in Minnesota.  

Click on your state below to start the process of registering to vote online.

States that let you register to vote online without an ID

California, Delaware, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Virginia. 

States that require an ID to register online

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia.

States that do not have online voter registration or have yet to implement it

Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming. 

Note: North Dakota does not have online voter registration because the state does not require voters register. To vote on Election Day, North Dakota residents must provide identification.