Voting Resources

How often do you vote?

Many people only vote every four years during the presidential election. However, elections occur frequently. If you are a United States citizen who meets the requirements to vote for:

• Your representatives in Congress in both the House of Representatives and the Senate;
• State elected officials like the governor and state legislators; 
• Local elected officials like mayor, school board representatives, and city council representatives; and
• ballot initiatives that impact where you live.

It can be confusing, but the links on this page will help you sort it out. This section covers general information on voting in the United States, and later parts will have more details about voting in Memphis/Shelby County, voter registration, and absentee and early voting. 

The more elections you vote in, and the more you know about who and what you are voting for, the more empowered you are as a citizen. Never think that your vote doesn't count - it does!

Voter Registration in Tennessee

Registering to Vote in Other States

There are many reasons you might not be able to vote in-person on election day. For example, as a college student, you might be living in a different place than where you are registered to vote. If you cannot vote on election day, you may have two alternatives to allow you to vote: an absentee ballot and early voting. 

An absentee ballot provides alternative methods for voting for people that cannot vote normally. You have to meet one of a set list of reasons to qualify to vote absentee. Every state has different rules about voting absentee ballots, including both why you can vote absentee and how to vote absentee, though voting by mail is a common method. 

Early voting provides opportunities to vote in person before election day. Unlike absentee ballots, not every state allows early voting, but generally if a state allows early voting you do not need a reason to be allowed to vote early.