Forty-nine states and the District of Columbia require prospective voters to register to vote before casting a ballot. North Dakota, which abolished voter registration in 1951, is the only state that does not require voter registration.

While 42 states and the District of Columbia have online voter registration systems, all states (except North Dakota) have a unique form that applicants may use to register in person or by mail.

Federal law mandates some items that states must include on their forms. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the 44 states covered by the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA) may design their own forms if they comply with the NVRA’s requirements for the national mail voter registration form, which is accepted in 46 states. In part, this means the forms “must include a statement that specifies each eligibility requirement (including citizenship), contain an attestation that the applicant meets each such requirement and require the signature of the applicant under penalty of perjury.” States also must warn voters about the penalties for submitting a false voter registration form.

Aside from federal requirements, voter registration forms vary from state to state.

Twenty-eight states ask applicants to provide their gender or sex when registering to vote. Nine states ask applicants to provide their race or ethnicity. In those states, race and ethnicity statistics may be used to comply with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 or for voter outreach efforts.

Forms in 32 states and the District of Columbia include political party identification questions. Depending on the state, choosing not to register with a political party may mean not being able to vote in the state’s primary elections.

The federal government makes the national mail voter registration form available in English and Spanish. Thirty-two states provide access to voter registration forms in at least one non-English language on their websites.

Each of those 32 states provides materials in Spanish, and 14 states also provide forms in at least one other language. 

Washington provides voter registration forms in 22 languages — more than any other state. Collectively, states offer voter registration forms in 41 different languages.

Some counties also must provide access to election materials in another language. Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act, added in 1975, requires that localities with a single-language minority group provide election materials in that language if that group exceeds 10,000 people or 5% of the voting-age citizenry and the illiteracy rate of the group is higher than the national average.

Finally, 25 states and the District of Columbia asked voters if they would like to serve as a poll worker or if the person registering would like more information about volunteering on Election Day.