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Your Election Guide to 2024 Primary Voting

From ID requirements to absentee ballots, what you need to know

By

​ Dena Bunis,

 
AARP
Comments
Published January 08, 2024

The 2024 election season officially gets underway on Jan. 15 in Iowa, as voting in the nation’s presidential primaries and caucuses begins, and continues through June.

The rules can be complicated, so it pays to know the voting requirements for your state before you head to the polls. Are you eligible to cast a primary ballot? Do you need to register in advance? What kind of identification, if any, is required? You’ll find the answers here.

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The vast majority of states hold primaries to pick presidential nominees. But nine states, including Iowa, still select candidates via a caucus. Unlike a conventional primary, in which each voter simply casts a ballot in private, a caucus is a simultaneous gathering of voters who meet to openly select their preference.

This year both parties will hold caucuses only in Iowa, Idaho and Wyoming. Just Republicans will caucus in Alaska, Hawaii, Missouri, Nevada, North Dakota and Utah.

u s map showing which states have closed partially closed open partially open and other types of primary elections

Can I vote in a primary?

The rules that determine who can vote in primaries vary widely by state. Most primaries fall under one of these systems.

Closed: Only voters registered with the party holding the primary can vote. The deadline for affiliating with a party varies by state.

Partially closed: Political parties can decide before each election whether voters not registered with any party (often called unaffiliated voters) may participate in their nominating contest. Under this system, Democrats could allow independents to vote while still excluding Republicans.

Open: Voters may cast a ballot in either party’s primary without registering with that party or publicly declaring which ballot they want.

Partially open: Under this system, states allow voters to cast a ballot with either party — but they must ask for a party’s ballot publicly. Some states allow unaffiliated voters to vote in either primary but don’t let members of one party cross over and vote in the opposing party’s contest.

Other: A few states have set up more unusual primary systems. In California and Washington, there's one primary ballot and the top two winners, regardless of party, go on to the general election. Louisiana has a similar system. Nebraska also uses a top-two system, but only for its state elections. Alaska has a top-four open primary system for state and congressional offices.

To find details of the rules in your state, contact your local or state election office. Find contact information at usa.gov/election-office.

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map of the u s showing which states allow online voter registration the only state that do not allow it are montana wyoming north and south dakota arkansas mississippi and new hampshire

How do I register to vote?

Registration deadlines and rules vary by state. In 42 states and the District of Columbia, you can register online. In 22 states and D.C., you can register to vote and cast your ballot on the same day; if you wish to do this, be prepared to present proof of where you live (such as a driver’s license or ID card). In some states you may use a paycheck or utility bill with your address on it as proof of residency. Certain states also require same-day registrants to sign an affidavit or swear an oath that they are eligible to vote and haven’t already voted.

The “motor voter” law requires states to let people register at motor vehicle offices. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, each year about a third of all voter-registration applications are made via a motor vehicle office.

Find out the registration deadlines in your state by going to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission’s website.

ways to vote are in person on election day by absentee ballot using early voting and by mail

Do I need to vote in person?

The most common way to cast a ballot is to go to your local polling place on Election Day, but most states provide an alternate method for those who are not going to be in town that day or are unable to get to the polls. The rules for early voting, absentee ballots and all-mail voting differ from state to state.

You can find the most up-to-date information on voting rules in your state on the Can I Vote page on the National Association of Secretaries of State website.

Here are the ways you can vote without going to the polls.

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Absentee voting: All states will mail you an absentee ballot if you apply for one. Applications are often available online. Some states require you to say why you can’t vote in person, but others offer a “no excuse” absentee ballot. Accepted excuses usually include disability or travel.

Early voting: Forty-six states and the District of Columbia offer in-person early voting. Some states begin early voting 45 days before the polls open; others provide only a few extra days. And certain states offer voting on weekends. 

All-mail voting: In all-mail elections, ballots are sent to all registered voters, who can return them by mail or bring them to a voting center. 

Eight states — California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Vermont and Washington — have all-mail systems. Two states, Nebraska and North Dakota, allow individual counties to choose to conduct their elections by mail.

voter identification requirements by state the only states that do not require identification at the polls are oregon nevada california wyoming new mexico nebraska minnesota illinois pennsylvania maryland new jersey new york vermont massachusetts and maine

What must I bring to the polls?

Thirty-six states require voters to show some form of identification on Election Day. The other 14 and the District of Columbia tend to verify identity by, say, asking voters to sign a card and checking the signature against their voter registration card.

Voter ID laws vary by state. Some require a photo ID, such as a driver’s license or passport; others accept nonphoto IDs, such as a bank statement or utility bill.

Most states have a procedure to enable people without acceptable identification to vote. Some ask them to sign an affidavit affirming who they are; others let a voter cast a provisional ballot, but the individual then must bring an acceptable ID to the election office within days of the contest to have the ballot counted.

You can find out more information about voter ID laws on the National Conference of State Legislatures’ voter identification requirements page, at ncsl.org.

Dena Bunis covers Medicare, health care, health policy and Congress. She also writes the Medicare Made Easy column for the AARP Bulletin. An award-winning journalist, Bunis spent decades working for metropolitan daily newspapers, including as Washington bureau chief for The Orange County Register and as a health policy and workplace writer for Newsday.

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