Typically the registration closing date, or deadline, is several weeks before an election day. In some states, citizens can register on the day of the election. If a citizen fails to register prior to the closing date, he or she will not be allowed to vote. Some states may require re-registration if a citizen fails to vote in every election, misses or certain number of elections, or changes address. Each state, county, city, or ward is divided into voting districts called precincts.
Citizens register to vote in the precinct where they live.
Elections for the members of the U.S. House of Representatives are conducted among candidates who live in a particular congressional district, which may include any number of precints. According to Article I, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution, the number of congressional districts each state may have is determined by its population. A national census is taken every ten years to determine state populations. A congressional district may cover a large or small territory, but each district within a state contains approximately the same number of citizens. Voting Procedures On election day registered voters go to the polls to vote.