Deadlines: Deadlines vary by state, election level (local, state, or national), and activity (registration, requesting an absentee ballot, submitting absentee ballot).  Check out the U.S. Vote Foundation to learn about all the deadlines specific to the state you are voting in.

Using State Board of Election Websites: When you want to use the board of elections website for your state, make sure that the web address ends with .gov so that you know you're using the official state government site.

Voting by Mail: If you are registered to vote in another state (particularly outside of New England), you may find that you need to vote by mail.  Different states use different terms for this process, but you'll likely encounter language like absentee voting/absentee ballots, vote by mail/mail voting/ballot by mail, advance voting, and early voting (which in some states refers specifically only to early voting in person). In an effort to reduce confusion, in this guide, we have tried to mirror the language used by each state when providing state resources.  Know that these terms are all talking about a similar thing: how to vote if you aren't in state on Election Day.  States differ widely in how you request to do this with some states providing a quick and simple online request form and others requiring you to contact your county clerk to request an application be mailed to you.  Make sure you look at requirements for your state early since this process may take some time in certain states.