It’s finally here: the 2018 Midterm elections! It’s been called ‘the most important election of our lifetime,’ so find out how late the polls are open, if you need ID, and where to vote!
It’s Nov. 6, the day where all Americans 18-and-older exercise his or her right to vote. The 2018 midterm elections have been called one if not the “most important election of our lifetime,” as many see this as a chance to offer a check on the power of President Donald Trump, while his supporters see it as a way to stave off the Democrats and their “blue wave.” Whether a person is “red” or “blue,” its their constitutional right as an American to vote…so, how and where does one do it?
At this point, after the massive “Get Out The Vote” efforts going on in the lead-up to the midterms, it’s hard to believe that someone doesn’t know their polling place or the polling hours. However, with numerous allegations of voter suppression (we’re looking at you, Georgia Secretary of State and current gubernatorial candidate Brian Kemp) going on, some people may still not know where they vote or if the polls close late. Thankfully, there are sites like IWillVote.com and Vote.org that allow a person to look up where their polling station after entering in their address. Those sites also allow a person to look up if they are registered.
If a person isn’t registered, or a polling station can’t find their registration (and they live in a state that doesn’t have same-day registration) according to Snopes, a person can vote when asking for a provisional ballot (and often, after providing a form of ID.) The laws differ from state to state, but thanks to efforts to preserve the voting rights of all Americans, you should be able to cast your vote today.
The time when a person can vote varies from state to state (and it can vary from county to county within a state.) Thankfully, Jason Silverstein and CBS News compiled a list of polling hours for all fifty states, and found out whether or not a person needs an ID to vote. In states like Kansas and Idaho, you need “a government-issued photo ID.” In states like Minnesota and New York, there is no voter ID requirement. It can all get confusing, so check out the full list below, courtesy of CBS News:
Alabama: Polls are open from 7 AM to 7 PM. Voters must present a valid photo ID.
Alaska: Polls are open from 7 AM to 8 PM. Voters are required to present ID, but it does not have to include a photo.
Arizona: Polls are open from 6 AM to 7 PM. Voters must present a photo ID with name and registered address, or two forms of non-photo ID with name and address.
Arkansas: Polls are open from 7:30 AM to 7:30 PM. Voters can present a photo ID or cast a provisional ballot (a ballot with votes that will be counted after election officials verify the voter’s eligibility) after signing a sworn statement confirming identity.
California: Polls are open from 7 AM to 8 PM. There is no voter ID requirement, but first-time voters might be asked to provide ID.
Colorado: Polls are open from 7 AM to 7 PM. Voters must provide ID, but it does not have to include a photo.
Connecticut: Polls are open from 6 AM to 8 PM. Voters must provide ID, but it does not have to include a photo.
Delaware: Polls are open from 7 AM to 8 PM. Voters must provide ID, but it does not have to include a photo.
Florida: Polls are open from 7 AM to 7 PM. Voters must present ID with a photo and signature, or a second form of ID if the photo ID does not have a signature.
Georgia: Polls are open from 7 AM to 7 PM. Voters must provide photo ID.
Hawaii: Polls are open from 7 AM to 6 PM. Voters must provide ID, but it does not have to include a photo.
Idaho: Polls are open from 8 AM to 8 PM. Voters must present government-issued photo ID or sign an affidavit.
Illinois: Polls are open from 6 AM to 7 PM. There is no voter ID requirement, but first-time voters might be asked to provide ID.
Indiana: Polls are open from 6 AM to 6 PM. Voters must present a government-issued photo ID showing name and expiration date.
Iowa: Polls are open from 7 AM to 9 PM. Voters must present a government-issued photo ID or sign a statement confirming identity.
Kansas: Polls are open from 7 AM to 7 PM. Voters must present a government-issued photo ID.
Kentucky: Polls are open from 6 AM to 6 PM. Voters must present ID, but it does have to include a photo
Louisiana: Polls are open from 6 AM to 8 PM. Voters must present a photo ID with name and signature, or they can provide a paycheck, utility bill, or another government document including name and address, in addition to signing an affidavit.
Maine: Polls are open from 6 AM to 8 PM. There is no voter ID requirement except for voters registering on Election Day.
Maryland: Polls are open from 7 AM to 8 PM. There is no voter ID requirement, but first-time voters who registered by mail must present ID.
Massachusetts: Polls are open from 7 AM to 8 PM. There is no voter ID requirement, but first-time voters who registered by mail must present ID.
Michigan: Polls are open from 7 AM to 8 PM. Voters must present photo ID or sign an affidavit saying they do not have any photo ID.
Minnesota: Polls are open from 7 AM to 8 PM. There is no voter ID requirement.
Mississippi: Polls are open from 7 AM to 7 PM. Voters must present photo ID.
Missouri: Polls are open from 6 AM to 7 PM. Voters are asked to present ID, but it does not have to include a photo, and voters without ID can cast a provisional ballot.
Montana: Polls are open from 7 AM to 8 PM. Voters must present ID, but it does not have to include a photo.
Nebraska: For the part of the state that is on central time (CT), polls are open from 8 AM to 8 PM. For the part of the state on mountain time (MT), polls are open from 7 AM to 7 PM. There is no voter ID requirement, but first-time voters might be asked to provide ID.
Nevada: Polls are open from 7 AM to 7 PM. Voters must sign an election board register at the polls, which is compared to signature on the voter’s original application or on a government-issued ID.
New Hampshire: Polling place hours vary by municipality; voters can look up the hours for their polling place here on the secretary of state’s website. Voters must present photo ID, or if they are unable to do so, a poll worker will take a photo of the voter and attach it to an affidavit that the voter must sign. There is no time-off law, but employees can request an absentee ballot if they must be at work or commuting during polling hours. Voters can register on Election Day.
New Jersey: Polls are open from 6 AM to 8 PM. Voters must present ID only if they did not provide ID while registering.
New Mexico: Polls are open from 7 AM to 7 PM. Voters must present ID if they did not provide ID while registering by mail.
New York: Polls are open from 6 AM to 9 PM. There is no voter ID requirement.
North Carolina: Polls are open from 6:30 AM to 7:30 PM. Only first-time voters who registered by mail must present ID, or else cast a provisional ballot.
North Dakota: Polls can open between 7 AM and 9 AM, and close between 7 PM. and 9 PM., although precincts that received fewer than 75 votes in the last general election can open as late as noon. Use the secretary of state’s website to find the hours for your polling place.
Ohio: Polls are open from 6:30 AM to 7:30 PM. Voters must provide full name, current address and ID, although it does not have to include a photo. Voters without valid ID can provide driver’s license number, state identification number or the last four digits of Social Security number to cast a provisional ballot.
Oklahoma: Polls are open from 7 AM to 7 PM. Voters must provide a government-issued photo ID or county election board voter ID cards. Voters who have neither can cast a provisional ballot after signing an affidavit.
Oregon: There are no polling hours or time-off laws because all voting is done by mail. Voters must provide a driver’s license or state ID card number before voting by mail.
Pennsylvania: Polls are open from 7 AM to 8 PM. First-time voters and voters using a new polling place for the first time must show ID, but it does not have to include a photo. Voters without ID can cast a provisional ballot.
Rhode Island: Polls are open from 7 AM to 8 PM. Voters must present photo ID, but they can cast a provisional ballot without photo ID if their signature matches the one on the voter registration record.
South Carolina: Polls are open from 7 AM to 7 PM. Voters must present a photo ID, and they can receive a free photo ID at a voter registration office by providing name, date of birth and last four digits of Social Security number.
South Dakota: Polls are open from 7 AM to 7 PM. Voters must present a photo ID or sign an affidavit confirming identity.
Tennessee: Polls open between 7 and 9 AM, depending on the county; the secretary of state’s website has a guide to when each county’s polling places open. For the part of the state on central time, polls close at 7 PM. For the part on eastern time (ET), polls close at 8 PM. Voters must present a government-issued voter ID.
Texas: Polls are open from 7 AM to 7 PM. Voters must present a photo ID, but voters who say they can’t obtain a photo ID can present non-photo ID and fill out a “Reasonable Impediment Declaration” to cast a regular ballot.
Utah: Polls are open from 7 AM to 8 PM. Voters must present ID with name and photo, or two forms of ID with name and address.
Vermont: Polls open between 5 AM and 10 AM, depending on the town, and all polls close at 7 PM. Use the Secretary of State’s website to find when your polling place opens.
Virginia: Polls are open from 6 AM to 7 PM. Voters must present a photo ID, or else cast a provisional ballot.
Washington state: There are no polling hours, time-off laws or voter ID requirements because all voting is done by mail. Registration ended Oct. 29.
Washington, D.C.: Polls are open from 7 AM to 8 PM. There is no voter ID requirement, but first-time voters who didn’t provide proof of residence when registering by mail must provide proof of residence, and voters unable to produce ID can cast a special ballot and must show ID to the Board of Election within two days of the election.
West Virginia: Polls are open from 6:30 AM to 7:30 PM. Voters must present ID at the polls, but it does not have to include a photo.
Wisconsin: Polls are open from 7 AM to 8 PM. Voters must present photo ID.
Wyoming: Polls are open from 7 AM to 7 PM. Only first-time voters must present ID, and it does not have to include a photo
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