An out-of-state Voting Guide

It is never too early to make a voting plan – especially if you are an out-of-state college student planning on casting a ballot in your home state. 

According to DePaul’s 2022 admission summary, 37% of incoming freshmen came from out-of-state. Michigan and Wisconsin – which will both be major players in the upcoming presidential election – were both in the top 10 states where students come from. 

This guide is for those college students who will be voting out-of-state. Some things to keep in mind as you review the deadlines for your state: 

1. Confirm your voter registration and update your mailing address if necessary. 
2. Some states require a notary or witness when filling out an absentee ballot. Check if that’s a requirement for your state and plan accordingly. 
3. Prepare to send your ballot back at least 7 days prior to your state’s deadline per USPS’s recommendation.  
4. Track your ballot to confirm it’s counted. 

With that, here is a comprehensive list of how to vote in your state or territory.

Alabama: The online voter registration deadline is October 21, and the deadline to request an absentee ballot is October 29. To receive an absentee ballot, voters must fill out an application online and mail it to their respective county’s office of the Absentee Election Manager. 

When submitting the actual ballot, voters must sign an affidavit witnessed and signed by either a public notary or two witnesses 18 years of age or older. 

If returned by mail, the ballot must be received by the Absentee Election Manager by noon on Nov. 4. For more information, click here. 

Alaska: The online voter registration deadline is October 6, and the deadline to request an absentee ballot is October 26. Voters are able to apply online for an absentee ballot to be mailed to them; they can also fill out and mail a PDF version of the application. 

Voters are required to sign their ballot in front of one witness who is at least 18 years of age. The witness must also sign the return envelope. 

For votes to be counted, all ballots must be postmarked on or received by Election Day. More information can be found here.

American Samoa: There is no option to register to vote online. The deadline to register by mail is October 7. There are four different groups of excuses that allow voters to vote absentee in American Samoa. For those in group C1 – which includes students – ballot applications can be filled out here and emailed to absentee@eo.as.gov. Those in groups C2 and C3 must request an absentee ballot in person or in writing. For group descriptions, click this link.

The Chief Election Officer will then examine each application to determine whether each voter can vote absentee. As soon as ballots are printed, they will be sent to off-island absentee voters. Ballots must be returned to the Chief Election Officer by 1:30 p.m. on Election Day, meaning absentee voters must plan in advance to ensure their ballots arrive on time. 

Arizona: The online voter registration deadline is October 7, and the deadline to request an absentee ballot is October 25. There are two ways for Arizona voters to get a ballot-by-mail: by joining the Active Early Voting List (AEVL) or doing a one-time ballot request. The AEVL allows voters to be sent an absentee ballot for every election they are eligible to vote in without having to apply each time. To enroll, you can fill out the online application. For a one-time absentee ballot, voters can apply online, call or email their county recorder, or submit a written request. 

All absentee ballots must be returned to the County Recorder, an official ballot drop site, or any voting location no later than at 7 p.m. on Election Day. The ballot must also include a signed affidavit. Click here for more information.

Arkansas: There is no option to register to vote online. You must mail an application by October 7. To request an absentee ballot, voters can either request an absentee ballot application from their county clerk or download an absentee ballot request form and mail it to their county clerk. To be qualified to vote absentee, voters must be unavoidably absent from their voting site. Requests must be received by October 29. 

The county clerk office must receive absentee ballots by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. For more information, visit the Arkansas Secretary of State website.

California: The online voter registration deadline is October 21. All registered voters in California will receive a vote-by-mail ballot. Mailed ballots must be postmarked by November 5 or returned in person by 8 p.m. on November 5. 

Colorado: The online voter registration deadline is November 5. To receive a ballot by mail, voters must register or update their voter registration online at www.GoVoteColorado.gov through October 28. All voters registered by then will receive a vote-by-mail ballot. However, in order to change the address the ballot is sent to, voters must contact their local election official by October 5. To request a ballot, fill out this form and mail it to your local elections office. 

Absentee ballots must be received by the county clerk by 7 p.m. on Election Day. Postmarks do not count. More information can be found here.

Connecticut: The online voter registration deadline is October 18, and the deadline to request an absentee ballot is November 4. Voters in Connecticut are able to request an absentee ballot be mailed to them if they believe they are unable to make it to a polling location on Election Day for any reasons laid out in this press release. To request an absentee ballot be mailed to you, fill out this form and mail it to your Town Clerk. 

Once you have filled out your ballot, return it by mail or in person to your Town Clerk. In order for ballots to be accepted, they must be at the polling place by 8 p.m. on November 5. For more information, click here.

Delaware: The online voter registration deadline is October 12, and the deadline to request an absentee ballot is November 1. To request an absentee ballot in Delaware, voters can either fill out this form or download and complete this form and return it back to any Department of Elections in the state. 

All ballots must be returned by 8 p.m. on Election Day. The Delaware Department of Elections recommends requesting ballots as soon as possible so ballots can be mailed out to voters as early as possible. For more information, click here.

District of Columbia: The online voter registration deadline is October 15. Absentee ballots will be sent to all D.C. voters. However, to request your ballot be sent to a different address, fill out this form and mail it to your local election office by October 21. 

In order for ballots to be valid, they must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received no later than November 15. 

Florida: The online voter registration deadline is October 7, and the deadline to request an absentee ballot is 5 p.m. on October 24. To request an absentee ballot in Florida, voters can fill out this form and send it to their county’s Supervisor of Elections by mail, fax or email. 

Ballots must be received by the Supervisor of Elections by 7 p.m. Eastern Time on Election Day. For more information, click here.

Georgia: The online voter registration deadline is October 7, and the deadline to request an absentee ballot is October 25. Georgia voters do not need an excuse to vote absentee, though they must request an absentee ballot. Voters can fill out this form to request a ballot online by email, mail, fax or in person. After review, absentee ballots will be sent to voters’ listed postal address.

Ballots must be received by the county elections office by Election Day. For more information, click here.

Guam: The voter registration deadline is October 22, and the deadline to submit an absentee ballot request is November 2. Absentee voters from Guam can request a ballot using this form and mailing it to the Guam Election Commision or emailing a scanned copy to voteAbsentee@gec.guam.gov. 

Absentee ballots must be returned to the Guam Election Commission by November 20 with a post marking from USPS on or before November 5. For more information, click here.

Hawaii: The online voter registration deadline is November 5. All registered voters in Hawaii will receive a ballot in the mail by October 18. If a voter wishes to have a ballot sent to an alternative address, they can send a request by filling out this form and mailing it to the voter’s County Election Division. All applications to request a different mailing address must be received by the County Elections Division by October 29.

All mail-in ballots must be received by the County Elections Division by the time polls close on Election Day. For more information, click here. 

Idaho: The online voter registration deadline is October 11. Idaho voters can request an absentee ballot be mailed to them by using this portal or by filling out this form and sending it to their county’s elections office. Voters are not required to have an excuse to vote by mail. Voters can request an absentee ballot until October 25. 

All absentee ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day. For more information, click here.

Indiana: The online voter registration deadline is October 7, and requests for absentee ballots must be received by election officials by October 24. Voters in Indiana must have a valid excuse for voting by mail. Voters must fill out this form to request a ballot. Voters can then either submit it online, by mail, by hand or by email. 

County election officials must receive absentee ballots by 6 p.m. on Election Day. Ballots received after Election Day will not be counted, even if they’re postmarked. For more information, click here. 

Iowa: The online voter registration deadline is October 21 at 11:59 p.m., and the deadline to request an absentee ballot is October 21 at 5 p.m. To request a ballot, voters must fill out and sign this form, then return it to their country auditor’s office. Any registered voter in Iowa can request an absentee ballot through their county auditor.

Ballots must be received by mail or dropped off to the county auditor by 8 p.m. on Election Day. For more information, click here.

Kansas: The online voter registration deadline is October 15. Kansas voters are able to apply for absentee ballots until October 29. To do so, voters must submit an application and a copy of their photo identification to their county election official.

All ballots must be postmarked by USPS on or before Election Day, and they must be returned to the county election officials by 5 p.m. on November 8. For more information, click here.

Kentucky: The deadline for online voter registration is 4 p.m. on October 7. Kentucky absentee voters must request an absentee ballot be sent to their residential address by October 22. To request a ballot, voters must apply online between September 21 and October 22. 

Absentee ballots must be in the hands of election officials by 6 p.m. on Election Day. For more information, click here.

Louisiana: The online voter registration deadline is October 15. Louisiana voters must have an eligible reason to vote absentee. These reasons are listed on the Louisiana Secretary of State website. If voters qualify, they can apply for a mail-in ballot online by searching for a voter; constituents may also apply by mail. To apply by mail, voters must fill out this form and mail it to their parish registrar of voters. The deadline to request a mail-in ballot is November 1 at 4:30 p.m.

The absentee ballot return envelope must be signed by a witness. 

Voters are able to return absentee ballots by mail, by fax or by hand to their registrar of voters. All ballots must be received by the parish’s registrar of voters by 4:30 p.m. the day before Election Day. For more information, click here.

Maine: The online voter registration deadline is October 15, and the deadline to request an absentee ballot is October 31 at 5 p.m. To request a mail-in ballot, voters can use this online application. Any registered voter in Maine is eligible to apply for an absentee ballot. 

Absentee ballots must be returned to the municipal clerk by 8 p.m. on Election Day. For more information, click here.

Maryland: The online voter registration deadline is October 15. Any registered voter in Maryland is eligible to vote absentee. Voters are able to request a ballot be mailed to them online or by filling out and returning this form to their local board of elections. All requests for mail-in ballots must be submitted by October 29 if voters want their ballots to be mailed to them. If voters prefer to access their ballot online, they must request this by November 1.

Ballots cannot be returned online, even if the voter requests it to be sent to them in that way. Mail-in ballots must be received by mail, put in a drop box or hand delivered to the voter’s local board of elections by 10 a.m. on November 15. All ballots must be postmarked by USPS on or before Election Day. For more information, click here.

Massachusetts: The online voter registration deadline is October 26, and the deadline to request an absentee ballot is October 29 at 5 p.m. Massachusetts voters are able to vote absentee if they will be away from their city on Election Day or if they have a religious belief or disability that prevents them from voting in person. To request an absentee ballot, voters can fill out this form and return it to their local election office by mail, email or fax. Voters are required to sign their request by hand. Electronic signatures are not accepted. 

Ballots can be returned to local election offices by mail, by hand or by ballot dropbox. Ballots must reach local election offices by 8 p.m. on Election Day if returned in person. Mailed ballots must be postmarked on or before November 5. For more information, click here.

Michigan: The online voter registration deadline is October 21. All Michigan voters are able to vote absentee. To request an absentee ballot, voters can apply online, by mail with this form or in person at their local clerk office. Michigan voters can also check a box if they wish to be added to the permanent absentee voter list. Requests can be made until 5 p.m. on November 1, but it is recommended they are submitted by October 21 to allow enough time for the postal service. 

Mailed absentee ballots must be received by the voter’s local clerk by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Ballots can also be submitted by dropbox, at a voting site on Election Day, at an early voting site or in person at the clerk’s office. For more information, click here.

Minnesota: The online voter registration deadline is October 15. Voters in Minnesota can apply for an absentee ballot anytime during the year aside from Election Day, though election officials highly suggest leaving enough time for your ballot to get to you and for you to return it. To apply for an absentee ballot, fill out this form.

The absentee ballot envelope must be signed by either a witness who is registered to vote in Minnesota or by an individual authorized to administer oaths.

Ballots must be received by your local election office by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Postmarks will not count. For more information, click here.

Mississippi: Mississippi voters must contact their Circuit Clerk’s office to see if they’re entitled to an absentee ballot. If the voter qualifies, an application will be mailed to them. They will fill it out and return it to the Circuit Clerk. All applications must be officially authorized, which can be done by a notary. Due to the amount of steps, it is vital for Mississippi voters to begin this process early. 

All mail-in ballots are due back at the County Circuit Clerk’s office by November 13, but must be postmarked by USPS on or before Election Day. Voters must fill out the witness affidavit on the back of the ballot, as well. For more information, click here.

Missouri: The voter registration deadline is October 9. Voters in Missouri must provide an excuse as to why they are voting by mail. To request an absentee ballot, voters should fill out this form and return it to their local election authority in person, by mail, by fax or by email by October 23 at 5 p.m. Voters requesting an absentee ballot who registered by mail and have not voted in person must submit a copy of their personal identification unless they provided a copy with their registration application.

Absentee ballot envelopes must be signed by a notary election official, or other officer authorized to administer oaths.

Ballots must be received by local election authorities by 7 p.m. on Election Day. This means voters must allow time to receive their ballots, get them notarized and mail them back. For more information, click here.

Montana: Montana does not offer online voter registration or online requests for absentee ballots. To register to vote, mailed applications must be postmarked by October 6 and received by October 9. To request a mail-in ballot, Montana voters must fill out this form and either mail or deliver it in person to their county election office. Applications must be received by noon on November 4, though it is recommended to start the process earlier to ensure your ballot is valid.

All ballots must be in the hands of election officials by 8 p.m. on Election Day. They can either be mailed to the election office or turned in at a polling location. For more information, click here.

Nebraska: The online registration deadline is October 18. Nebraska does not require voters to provide a reason for why they are voting absentee. Nebraska voters must fill out this form and either mail or fax it to their county election office. Along with the application, voters must include their state I.D. or driver’s license number or a copy of a valid form of photo identification. Absentee ballot request forms are due by 6 p.m. on October 25. 

Ballots must be returned to the county’s election office by close of the polls on Election Day. For more information, click here.

Nevada: The online voter registration deadline is November 5. Unless they opt out, all active Nevada voters will receive a ballot in the mail. To register or update your voter information, you may do so here. 

Mailed ballots must be postmarked by November 5. Ballots returned in person are due by 7 p.m. on November 5. For more information, click here. 

New Hampshire: Online voter registration is not available in New Hampshire. Constituents must register in person on November 5 or in person at a local election office in advance. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is by 12 p.m. on November 4. New Hampshire voters are required to have a valid excuse for why they are voting absentee. 

If you are registering to vote absentee due to absence, you must fill out the Absentee Voter Registration Affidavit. 

Mailed absentee ballots must be received by the local clerk by 5 p.m. on November 5. Ballots returned in person must be received by 5 p.m. on November 4. For more information, click here. 

New Jersey: The online registration deadline is October 15. Voters requesting an absentee ballot in New Jersey must fill out a form corresponding to the county they are registered to vote in. They must then return it to their County Clerk. In order to receive a ballot in the mail, this application must be received by the County Clerk by October 29.

Mail-in ballots need to be postmarked by USPS on or before November 5 and received by November 11 to be counted. Ballots can also be dropped off in person or at a ballot dropbox by 8 p.m. on Election Day. For more information, click here.

New Mexico: The online registration deadline is October 8. No excuse is required to vote absentee in New Mexico. Voters can fill out an online application here, contact their County Clerk’s Office or mail in an application to be mailed a ballot. Applications to vote absentee must be submitted by October 22.

Ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day. For more information, click here.

New York: The deadline to register to vote is October 26. Voters must apply to be sent an absentee ballot via this form and mail or deliver it to their County Board of Elections. Applications are due October 26. 

Ballots can be received by the County Board of Elections as late as November 12 so long as the ballot is postmarked by USPS on or before November 5. For more information, click here.

North Carolina: The online voter registration deadline is October 11. All North Carolina voters are eligible to vote by mail. Voters must apply for a ballot either online or by filling out this form and mailing it or hand delivering it to their county board of elections. All ballots must be requested by October 29.

Absentee ballot envelopes must be signed by two witnesses who are at least 18 years old or a notary public.

All absentee ballots must be in the hands of election officials by November 5 at 7:30 p.m. For more information, click here.

North Dakota: All eligible citizens can vote in North Dakota without prior registration. North Dakota counties are split into two types: vote-by-mail and non-vote-by-mail counties. Voters in vote-by-mail counties are mailed absentee ballot applications by their county auditor. Voters in all other counties must request an absentee ballot application from their county auditor. In both cases, voters must submit an application to receive a mailed ballot. There is no deadline to apply for an absentee ballot, though it is recommended to do so at least seven days prior to the election.

Mailed ballots must be postmarked by USPS on or prior to November 4 to be counted. Ballots being returned in person or in a ballot dropbox must be dropped off by 5 p.m. on November 4. For more information, click here.

Northern Mariana Islands: The deadline to register to vote was September 6. Registered voters from the Northern Mariana Islands can apply online to have a ballot mailed to them. Voters must request a ballot by October 11 to receive an absentee ballot.

Ballots must be returned to election officials by November 5 in order to be counted. For more information, click here.

Ohio: The online registration deadline is October 7. Ohio voters can request a ballot by filling out this form and mailing it to their county’s Board of Elections or by calling their county’s Board of Elections to request a ballot be mailed to them. All ballot requests must be made by October 29.

All absentee ballots must be postmarked by USPS on or before November 4 in order to be counted. Even if voters are returning their ballot in person, they should still take it to the post office to be postmarked. For more information, click here.

Oklahoma: The online voter registration deadline is October 11. Voters in Oklahoma must request an absentee ballot by October 21 at 5 p.m. Voters do not need an excuse to vote absentee and can apply online or by mailing this form to their County Election Board. If voters are inactive, have moved, have an invalid USPS address or have had their voter ID card returned as undeliverable, they also must fill out the attached Address Confirmation Form.

Absentee ballot affidavits must be notarized in order to be counted. 

Absentee ballots must be received by the County Election Board by 7 p.m. on Election Day to be counted. For more information, click here.

Oregon: The online voter registration deadline is October 15. All voters will receive a vote-by-mail ballot. Voters can use My Vote to make any changes to their registration, including requesting a ballot be sent to a different address. Voters should request ballots be sent to a different address one month prior to Election Day. If there is not enough time for a ballot to be sent to your address, you can download your ballot at oregonvotes.gov/myballot and return via email. 

Ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day, but can be received by County Election Offices until November 12. For more information, click here.

Pennsylvania: The online voter registration deadline is October 21. All Pennsylvania voters are eligible to request an absentee ballot. However, if voters want an absentee ballot to be sent to another address, they must provide a reason. Voters can apply for a ballot online, by mail or in person. This must be completed by October 29 at 5 p.m. in order for voters to receive a ballot.

Absentee and mail-in ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day at the voter’s County Election Board. For more information, click here.

Puerto Rico: The deadline to register to vote in Puerto Rico was September 16. Registered voters from Puerto Rico can request an absentee ballot by email or by mail using the Federal Post Card Application. All requests by email must be sent by September 16 and all mail-in requests must be postmarked by September 16.

Ballots mailed back to election officials must be postmarked by USPS on or before November 5. For more information, click here.

Rhode Island: The online registration deadline is October 6. Rhode Island registered voters can apply for an absentee ballot online. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is October 15.

Voters must arrange to have their absentee ballot signed by two witnesses or a notary public. 

Ballots must be received by the Rhode Island Board of Elections by 8 p.m. on Election Day. It is recommended voters mailing in their ballots do so at least seven days in advance to ensure it is received on time. For more information, click here.

South Carolina: The online voter registration deadline is October 6, and the deadline to apply for an absentee ballot is October 25 at 5 p.m. Voters should call, visit or send their request by mail to their county voter registration office. They will then be mailed an application that they should fill out and return to their county voter registration office by mail or personal delivery. 

Voters must arrange to have an adult U.S. citizen sign the ballot in addition to the voter. 

Ballots must be received by the voter registration office by 7 p.m. on Election Day. For more information, click here.

South Dakota: Online voter registration is not available. Voters must register by mail or in person by October 21 at 5 p.m. To request an absentee ballot, voters must print and mail an application to their County Election Official by 5 p.m. on November 4. However, it is recommended that they do so at least seven days in advance.

Ballots must be received by the County Election Official by 5 p.m. on Election Day. For more information, click here.

Tennessee: The online voter registration deadline is October 7. To request an absentee ballot, voters can fill out this form and email, mail or fax it to their local county elections commission office. If emailing, the document must also include a scanned signature of the voter. The application must be received by the election commission by October 29.

County officials must receive all ballots by 7 p.m. on Election Day. For more information, click here.

Texas: There is no option to register to vote online. Voters in Texas must fill out a registration form and mail it to their local election office; they may also register in person. The voter registration deadline is October 7. Texas voters can either print an Application for Ballot by Mail (ABBM) or submit an online request for one to be sent to them. Voters must then mail, email or fax their ABBM to the Early Voting Clerk in their county. However, if the AMMB is faxed or emailed, a hardcopy must be mailed and received by the Early Voting Clerk four business days later. The final day ABBMs can be received is October 25.

Ballots are due by 7 p.m. on Election Day if the envelope is not postmarked, unless the voter qualifies for an exception. If the carrier envelope is postmarked by 7 p.m. at the location of the election on Election Day, the deadline is November 6 at 5 p.m. For more information, click here.

U.S. Virgin Islands: Online and by-mail voter registration are not available. Voters must register in person by October 6. Voters who fulfill the requirements of being “absent” during Election Day are able to apply for an absentee ballot by mail or email by filling out this form by November 5. 

Absentee ballots can be returned by mail, email or fax. All ballots must be returned by November 15. For more information, click here.

Utah: The online voter registration deadline is October 25. All active, registered voters in Utah will receive a ballot in the mail. To update your mailing address, click here. Voters can also fill out this form and mail, email or fax it to their county clerk’s office or the Office of the Lieutenant Governor. Requesting a change of mailing address must be done by October 25.

Ballots must be postmarked by USPS on or before November 4 to be counted. For more information, click here.

Vermont: The online voter registration deadline is November 5. Any registered voter in Vermont is eligible to vote absentee. Voters can request a ballot online, by paper or at their Clerk’s Office. Absentee ballot requests must be submitted by 5 p.m. on November 4.

All ballots must be returned to the town clerk’s office by 5 p.m. on November 4 or to a polling place by 7 p.m. on Election Day. For more information, click here.

Virginia: The online voter registration deadline is October 15. Voters in Virginia can request to vote absentee using this portal or by mail, fax or email using this form. Voters can also request to be added to a permanent absentee voter list if they choose. The deadline to apply for an absentee ballot is 5 p.m. on October 25.

Absentee envelopes must be signed by the voter and a witness.

Ballots must be postmarked by USPS on or before Election Day, and they must reach the local general registrar’s office by November 8 to be counted. For more information, click here.

Washington: The online voter registration deadline is October 28. All registered voters in Washington are sent a mail-in ballot. Voters can request their ballot be sent to a different address than their permanent address by contacting their county elections office. 

Ballots must be postmarked by USPS on or before Election Day or returned to a dropbox by 8 p.m. on Election Day. For more information, click here.

West Virginia: The online voter registration deadline is October 15. Requests for absentee ballots must be received by the voter’s county clerk by October 30.

Absentee ballots must be postmarked by USPS on or before Election Day, and they must be received by the County Clerk by November 11 to count. For more information, click here.

Wisconsin: The online voter registration deadline is October 16. Voters in Wisconsin must first confirm their voter information online; then they are eligible to apply for an absentee ballot. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is 5 p.m. on October 31.

Voters must arrange to have an adult U.S. citizen witness them fill out their own ballot. The witness must also sign and address the envelope upon completion. 

Ballots must be received by the voter’s municipal clerk by 8 p.m. on Election Day. For more information, click here.

Wyoming: The online voter registration deadline is October 21. Wyoming voters can apply for an absentee ballot using this form and mailing or emailing it to their county clerk. Applications are accepted until November 4, though it is recommended that they are submitted before then.

Ballots must be received by the county clerk by 7 p.m. on Election Day. For more information, click here.

Header by Alexis Phelps