Washington, DC

Washington, DC does not require ID to vote. 

DC runs its elections primarily by mail. Your ballot will automatically be sent to the address where you are registered to vote.

Learn About Voting In Person
Learn About Voting By Mail
REGISTER TO VOTE IN DC

Voter Registration in the Washington, DC

DC Voter Eligibility Requirements

You must register before you can vote in DC.

You are eligible to vote in DC if you meet all of the following requirements:

  • You a resident of DC.
  • You are at least 18 years of age on Election Day. 

You cannot register to vote in DC if:

  • You have been declared incapacitated by a court of law.

DC Voter Registration ID Requirements

To register to vote:

  • You must provide your driver’s license number or DC DMV-issued ID card number if you have one.
  • If you do not have either of these IDs, you can use the last 4 digits of your Social Security number (SSN).
  • If you do not have a Social Security number, then leave that space blank on your registration form.

If you don’t provide any of these numbers or the state can’t match the number you provide to official records, you will have to show an accepted form of ID the first time you vote.

DC also requires you to provide an ID document with your name and current address to prove your residency.

You can use:

Must be unexpired 

  • DC license
  • ID card issued by the DC DMV

Issued within 90 days 

  • Utility bill 
  • Bank statement 
  • Paycheck
  • Government check

Washington, DC ID Requirements for Voting In Person

You do not need to show ID when you vote in DC.

If you didn’t verify your identity or residency when you registered, you need to provide ID the first time you vote.

You can use:
Must be unexpired 

  • DC driver’s license
  • ID card issued by the DC DMV

Must be current 

  • Utility bill, bank statement, paycheck or government check (issued within 90 days)
  • Student housing or tuition statement
  • Shelter occupancy statement
  • Residential lease
  • Government document with your name and address

If you are marked as “ID Required” but can’t show an accepted ID, you need to vote by special ballot. For your vote count, you must show ID to the DC Board of Elections within two days of the election.

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Contact us if you have questions or need free help getting ID.

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DC ID Requirements for Voting By Mail

DC automatically sends mail ballots to all registered voters. You do not need to request your ballot, and no excuse is required to vote by mail.

The “ID Required’ box will be marked on your ballot if you need to provide a copy of ID.

You can use a copy of:

Must be unexpired 

  • DC driver’s license
  • ID card issued by the DC DMV

Must be current 

  • Utility bill, bank statement, paycheck or government check (issued within 90 days)
  • Student housing or tuition statement
  • Shelter occupancy statement
  • Residential lease
  • Government document with your name and address

Note that the signature on your ballot must match your signature on file with the state.

TRACK YOUR BALLOT VOTE-BY-MAIL INFO

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, Washington, DC has same-day voter registration. Same-day registration allows you to register and vote in person on the same day. You can also use it to update your voter registration information.

The deadline to register to vote in DC is 21 days before Election Day. If this registration deadline has passed, same-day registration is available in DC during early voting and on Election Day.

You must provide a document with your name and current address to prove your residency.

You can check your voter information using this form. If you cannot find your information or something is incorrect, contact the DC Board of Elections.

We recommend that you check your voter information before each election’s voter registration deadline. This will give you time to submit a new registration if your information is missing or incorrect.  

You can also use the DC’s Board of Elections website to check your registration.

Each state has its own laws about whether citizens with previous criminal convictions can vote.

To check your eligibility to register to vote in Washington, DC use Restore Your Vote. 

You can also learn more by reading this blog post: Can People Convicted of a Felony Vote in the United States?

College students are allowed to vote using their DC school residence address. You can decide if you prefer to register in your home state or in DC if you attend school there. You may only be registered and vote in one location.

You must be notified if your ballot is missing your signature or if the signature on it does not match your signature in state records.

You can correct issues with your signature if there is time to resubmit your ballot before Election Day.

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VoteRiders is here to help!
Contact us if you have questions or need free help fixing your ballot.