When starting out with any voter registration event, our Voting in Your State voter registration drive guides are the first resource we recommend going to.
Even if you’re a seasoned pro and register folks like clockwork, it’s always a good idea to keep up to date with state laws on voter registration. As laws change rapidly, checking these protects your organization while empowering your community to vote!
These 2-3 page printable PDFs on every Voting in Your State page cover the rules around:
- Getting blank voter registration forms
- Any required training to register voters
- What to do if someone (inevitably) forgets to check the citizenship box
- Copying information from forms
Our state guides cover all states that offer voter registration*.
This blog covers how you can use each section of these pdfs as you’re planning your voter registration drive.
Note: A 3rd party voter registration organization (or 3PVRO in Florida) is what nonprofits or organizations who organize voter registration drives are typically referred to as.
Also join our webinar on Aug 13, 2025 covering the states that changed the most for 2025 and ways to respond!
Getting Started
This section covers any state requirements prior to getting started with a voter registration drive.
- Check if your state requires training for volunteers (ex As of July 2025, Texas requires certification and training to become a “Volunteer Deputy Registrar”)
- Check if there are restrictions on incentives for registrations. (ex As of July 2025, Ohio does not allow anyone to give things of monetary value to register to vote, like stamps or food)
- Note: Nationwide, you cannot pay volunteers or staff based on the number of completed registrations they collect
- Check if your state requires to be notified when voter registration drives happen
- Check if there are restrictions on incentives for registrations. (ex As of July 2025, Ohio does not allow anyone to give things of monetary value to register to vote, like stamps or food)
Obtaining Applications
This section shares whether you can print, copy, or will need to request blank voter registration forms from the state election office!
- Check if your state allows printing the state form
- Note: if you’re on a college campus with a lot of students from out of state, bring the federal form since there will likely be students who might prefer to register back at their home address!
- Check if your state allows photocopying the state forms
- Ex: As of July 2025, Nevada does not allow this
Example from Nevada – Click to Expand
Note, if you’re using the national voter registration form, these rules around state forms might not apply! Double check in the section “federal forms” that’s on most guides.
Handling Applications
This section handles what to do around applications when certain situations come up
For example, inevitably someone forgets to check the citizenship checkbox or forgets to sign. What do you do then?
Check the “Incomplete Applications” subheader for details on how you can help or are not allowed to help.
If you’re looking to do GOTV and want to follow up with them with an election reminder, are you allowed to get phone numbers from the forms?
Check the “Photocopying Completed Applications” subheader to check if and what information you can save from forms.
Some states require you to submit completed applications within a certain number of days. If you have a few days of waiting room intake or a few events, make sure not to hold onto it for too long!
Check the “Submitting Applications” subheader – sometimes under “Obtaining Applications” above to see if there’s a time limit. (Ex: In some states, completed forms must be submitted within 5 days of signature date)
Also in a few states, like Nevada and Florida (as of July 2025), anyone who registers to vote with a third-party voter registration organization must be given a “receipt” with contact information.
Check any “Receipt Requirement” subheader for details (if there is none, then it’s almost certainly not required by the state)
Voter Registration Deadlines
This section at the top tells you the number of days before Election Day the forms are due.
However, we recommend checking a site like Vote411 which has the actual dates calculated.
An important detail to note is if the deadline is a postmark v.s received by date. If you’re mailing voter registrations on the date the forms are due and the deadline is a “received by” date, the forms will likely be rejected because completed forms need to be at the office by the deadline. However in this example if the deadline is a “postmarked by”, you should be fine. However, we always encourage giving yourself a few extra days or dropping forms off directly at an election office.
If you print the factsheets to train volunteers or have as reference for staff at a voter registration drive, send us a picture at info@nonprofitvote.org! We’d love to share how these are being used at your tables, lobbies, community fairs, intake, and more.
Our 2025 State Factsheets were created in partnership with our lawyer friends at the Fair Elections Center. We’re proud to offer these resources at no additional cost to partners making them accessible to all.
