NCSL - National Conference of State Legislatures
05/19/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/19/2026 10:11
Online Voter Registration
Related Topic: Elections
Our organization does not run elections and cannot provide legal advice. If you are a voter looking for assistance, please contact your local election official. You can find your local election official's website and contact information by using this database from the US Vote Foundation.
Overview
Forty-two states, Washington, D.C., Guam and the Virgin Islands offer online registration. See the table below for details.
Online voter registration systems supplement the traditional paper-based process, by which new voters fill out a paper form that is submitted to election officials, who confirm the registration is valid and enter the information from the paper application into the registration system.
Online voter registration follows essentially the same process, but instead of filling out a paper application, the voter fills out a form via a website, and that paperless form is submitted electronically to election officials. In most states the application is reviewed electronically; if the request is confirmed to be valid, the new registration is added to the state's voter registration list.
That validation step is done by comparing the information on the online registration form against the information provided by the same individual when he or she received a driver's license or other state-issued identification card. The signature already on record with the state becomes the signature on record for voting. When the information does not match, the application is sent to officials for further review or action.
In most states, online voter registration systems work for people who have state-issued driver's licenses or identification cards, although a few states provide online access for other potential voters as well. In all states, paper registration forms are available for anyone, including those who cannot register online.
Arizona was the innovator in paperless voter registration, having implemented its system in 2002. Washington followed with authorizing legislation in 2007 and implementation in 2008. Since then, more and more states have gone live with online voter registration. While most states have enacted specific legislation to authorize online voter registration, some have made online voter registration available without enabling legislation. See the table below for details.
Security
Several approaches can and are used to ensure system security and prevent fraud or breaches by hackers.
- The registrant provides his or her driver's license number or the last four digits of a Social Security number, information that others will not have.
- Systems often include "captcha" boxes, where registrants must decode images that a computer cannot decode, to prevent hacking by programmers.
- Data is encrypted and data logs highlight unusual activity that can be investigated.
- Multi-screen systems, that offer just one question on a screen, are harder to hack.
For more on securing online voter registration systems, see these resources:
- Recommended Security Controls for Voter Registration, MITRE Corportation
- 2024 Voter Registration Database Security Report, The Center for Election Innovation & Research
- Voter Registration, Center for Internet Security
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Table 1: States with Online Voter Registration
|
State |
Year Enacted and Implemented |
Bill Number |
Notes |
Website |
|
Alabama |
n/a; 2016 |
No legislation required |
||
|
Alaska |
n/a; 2015 |
No legislation required |
||
|
Arizona |
n/a; 2002 |
No legislation required |
||
|
California |
2011; 2012 |
SB 397 |
||
|
Colorado |
2009; 2010 |
HB 1160 |
||
|
Connecticut |
2012; 2014 |
HB 5024 |
||
|
Delaware |
n/a; 2014 |
No legislation required |
||
|
District of Columbia |
n/a; 2015 |
No legislation required |
||
|
Florida |
2015; 2017 |
SB 228 |
||
|
Georgia |
2012; 2014 |
SB 92 |
||
|
Guam |
2022; 2022 |
B 174 |
||
|
Hawaii |
2012; 2015 |
HB 1755 |
||
|
Idaho |
2016; 2017 |
SB 1297 |
||
|
Illinois |
2013; 2014 |
HB 2418 |
||
|
Indiana |
2009; 2010 |
HB 1346 |
||
|
Iowa |
n/a; 2016 |
No legislation required |
||
|
Kansas |
n/a; 2009 |
No legislation required |
||
|
Kentucky |
n/a; 2016 |
No legislation required |
||
|
Louisiana |
2009; 2010 |
HB 520 |
||
|
Maine |
2021; 2024 |
HB 804 |
||
|
Maryland |
2011; 2012 |
HB 740 |
||
|
Massachusetts |
2014; 2015 |
HB 3788 |
||
|
Michigan |
2018; 2019 |
SB 425 |
||
|
Minnesota |
2014; 2013 |
HF 2096 |
In 2013, Minnesota made online voter registration available without enabling legislation, but the legislature authorized the state's system in 2014. |
|
|
Missouri |
n/a; 2014 |
No legislation required |
In Missouri, residents can register to vote online and electronically provide a signature using a mobile device, tablet computer or touchscreen computer, but not a standard desktop computer. The state reviews the information and prints out the registration form, which it sends to the person's local elections office for verification. |
|
|
Nebraska |
2014; 2015 |
LB 661 |
||
|
Nevada |
2011; 2012 |
AB 82 |
||
|
New Jersey |
2020; 2020 |
SB 589 |
||
|
New Mexico |
2015; 2016 |
SB 643 |
||
|
New York |
2019; 2011 |
AB 2005 |
New York first established an online voter registration system in 2011, but it was not fully paperless. The online system run by the Department of Motor Vehicles allowed voters to register online, but paper applications were still being exchanged between the DMV and statewide database on the back end until the passage of AB 2005 in 2019. |
|
|
North Carolina |
n/a; 2020 |
No legislation required |
||
|
Ohio |
2016; 2017 |
SB 63 |
||
|
Oklahoma |
2015; 2018 (Phase 1); 2023 (Phase 2) |
SB 313 |
Oklahoma 2015; 2018 (Phase 1); 2023 (Phase 2) SB 313 In Oklahoma, the first phase of implementation allowed previously registered voters to update their address of residence (if it is in the same county as their previous address), mailing address or party affiliation online. Voters registering for the first time could begin the process by filling out their registration form online, but had print and submit the registration form by mail or hand deliver it to their local election office. For Phase 2, all eligible voters can register online with an Oklahoma driver's license or state ID and a signature on file with the state. |
|
|
Oregon |
2009; 2010 |
HB 2386 |
||
|
Pennsylvania |
2002; 2015 |
SB 607 |
||
|
Rhode Island |
2016; 2017 |
SB 2513 |
||
|
South Carolina |
2012; 2012 |
HB 4945 |
||
|
Tennessee |
2016; 2017 |
SB1626/HB1472 |
||
|
Utah |
2009; 2010 |
SB 25 |
||
|
Vermont |
n/a; 2015 |
No legislation required |
||
|
Virgin Islands |
n/a; 2025 |
No legislation required |
||
|
Virginia |
2013; 2013 |
HB 2341 |
||
|
Washington |
2007; 2008 |
HB 1528 |
||
|
West Virginia |
2013; 2015 |
SB 477 |
||
|
Wisconsin |
2016; 2017 |
SB 295 |
NCSL - National Conference of State Legislatures published this content on May 19, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on May 19, 2026 at 16:11 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]