page_title: Voter registration in the United States
section_title: Preregistration
hierarchical_section_title: Voter registration in the United States / Forms of facilitation / Preregistration
context_page_description: Voter registration in the United States is required for voting in federal, state and local elections in the United States. The only exception is North Dakota, which does not require registration, although North Dakota law allows cities to register voters for city elections. Voter registration takes place at the county level in many states and at the municipal level in several states. Most states set cutoff dates for voter registration, ranging from 2 to 4 weeks before an election; while a third of states have Election Day or "same-day" voter registration which enables eligible citizens to register or update their registration when they vote before or on Election Day.
  It has been argued that some registration requirements deter some people from registering and therefore exercising their right to vote, resulting in a lower voter turnout. According to a 2012 study, 24% of the voting-eligible population in the United States are not registered to vote, equaling some 51 million U.S. citizens.
caption: Map of the District of Columbia, states, and territories in the United States that allow preregistration prior to turning 18 years old:  Preregistration after turning 16 years old  Preregistration after turning 17 years old  Preregistration prior to turning 18 years old  No preregistration; can only vote after turning 18 years old  Unknown