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US Election Information

Trustworthy sources to help you become a more informed voter.

Step 1: Register to Vote

If you have never registered to vote before, you can use the Gephardt Institute's TurboVote tool below to register. Whether you register using your home address or campus address is completely up to you! For more information on registering to vote as an out-of-state student, check out the article below from US.VOTE.

TurboVote also allows you to explore your voting options, preview what's on your ballot, see voting deadlines, and get election reminders no matter what state you are registered to vote in! If you have any questions about TurboVote, please reach out to the Gephardt Institute's Civic Engagement Manager, Otto Brown, at otto@wustl.edu. 

Below are the registration and voting deadlines for the 2024 Missouri elections. For other states' deadlines, please see the link below.

 Official Election Day                              Style of Election                               Last Day to Register to Vote

Saturday, March 2, 2024                          Republican Presidential Caucus        Saturday, February 24, 2024
Saturday, March 23, 2024                        Democratic Presidential Primary        Wednesday, February 21, 2024
Tuesday, April 2, 2024                              General Municipal Election                Thursday, March 6, 2024
Tuesday, August 6, 2024                          Primary Election                                 Wednesday, July 10, 2024
Tuesday, November 5, 2024                    General Election                                 Wednesday, October 9, 2024 

Step 2: Check Your Voter Registration

All voters should check their voter registration status before voting in an election. You can use the Vote.org tool below to check your status, or the TurboVote tool above. Note that if you've registered recently, it may take 1-2 weeks for your status to be updated.

Step 3: Create a Voting Plan

Creating a voting plan can help you figure out the logistics of voting and take some of the stress out of the process. Your voting plan should cover questions like:

  • Am I voting in person or by mail?
  • Am I voting early or on the day of the election?
  • What polling place am I voting at? 
  • What time will I go vote?
  • Am I going alone or with a friend?

See the resources below to help you create your voting plan, and remember to give yourself plenty of time before an election to figure your plan out.

Voting options, explained (note that available voting options depend on the state you're registered in):

  • Election Day voting refers to individuals who plan to vote at their assigned polling place (or at another official voting center) on the day of an election. 
  • Absentee voting refers to individuals who plan to vote early with an official excuse, either by mail or in person. You must apply to receive an absentee ballot in all 50 states. In some states, absentee voting can also take place by drop box. 
  • No-excuse absentee voting refers to individuals who plan to vote early without an official excuse. In some states, this can only be done in person. In St. Louis City and County, no-excuse absentee voting begins two weeks before any given election.
  • Voting by mail refers to individuals who plan to vote early by receiving a mail-in ballot, filling it out, and mailing it back. Voting by mail is not available in all states. In some states, mail-in ballots are automatically sent to all registered voters, while in others they must be requested.