Voter Registration and Eligibility

The original Constitution left voting qualifications to the states, which at first generally limited the vote to white male property owners. Amendments gradually broadened the franchise: the Fifteenth in 1870 barred denial of the vote by race, the Nineteenth in 1920 by sex, the Twenty-fourth in 1964 banned poll taxes in federal elections, and the Twenty-sixth, ratified on July 1, 1971, lowered the voting age to 18. The Voting Rights Act of August 6, 1965, outlawed literacy tests and required federal approval of voting changes in states with histories of discrimination, until the Supreme Court struck down its coverage formula in Shelby County v. Holder in 2013.

Today U.S. citizens who are at least 18 and meet state residency rules may vote, and federal law makes it a crime for noncitizens to vote in federal elections. Every state except North Dakota requires registration, which can be done online in most states, at motor vehicle offices under the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, by mail, or in person. Many states offer same-day registration and automatic registration through state agencies. The Help America Vote Act of 2002 required statewide voter databases and identification for first-time voters who register by mail. States differ on whether people with felony convictions can vote and must remove ineligible voters from rolls under federal rules.

Registration and eligibility rules are sharply contested. Supporters of stricter rules, including proof of citizenship to register and photo identification at the polls, say they prevent fraud and build confidence, while opponents say fraud is rare and such rules burden eligible voters, especially those without ready access to documents. In March 2025 an executive order sought to require documentary proof of citizenship on the federal registration form, and federal courts blocked key parts of it, while the House passed a bill in April 2025 to require such proof that did not become law.