How to register to vote on National Voter Registration Day

FILE - A woman marks down her vote on a ballot for the Democratic presidential primary election at a polling place in Armstrong Elementary School on Super Tuesday, March 3, 2020. in Herndon, Virginia. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

Tuesday marks National Voter Registration Day, a nonpartisan civic holiday dedicated to celebrating democracy with the mission of getting eligible citizens registered to vote. 

Celebrated every September, and this year on September 17, organizations across the nation will be participating in a coordinated effort to spread awareness about the importance of preparing for Election Day by registering to vote.

How to register to vote

Voter registration laws and deadlines vary by state. Depending, you may be able to register online, by mail or in person. 

The U.S. government has set up a website, vote.gov, to begin the voter registration process. Once you select your state, you can see what the requirements are to register. 

The website will also show you what your voter registration deadline is, which, in some cases, is as much as 30 days before Election Day. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5. 

Once you register, you can vote in national, state, and local elections.

If you’ve moved recently, you should check that your address is correct so that you’ll be able to vote in person or receive your mailed ballot. 

How to vote early

Depending on where you live, your state may offer one of the following ways to vote before Election Day: 

  • Early in-person voting
  • Voting by mail, or sometimes called absentee voting

For the latest information on your voting eligibility, go to vote.gov and your state’s elections website. 

RELATED: Early voting begins this month, and these states are already sending out ballots

Several states begin the early voting process in September, putting the election season already underway. 

Taylor Swift inspires fans to vote

Moments after the first presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, Taylor Swift announced she would be voting for Harris.

In a lengthy post that explained her decision, she included a reminder that in order to vote, you must be registered. 

RELATED: How do you register to vote? Taylor Swift encourages first-time voters

"I also find it’s much easier to vote early," she added. 

Here’s more information on registering to vote, and voting early. 

A spokesperson told several media outlets that a total of 405,999 users had visited vote.gov through Swift’s story linking to vote.gov. However, it’s unclear how many new voters actually signed up, since they must do so through their own state-specific website.

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