How voting in person works

You go to a place where you can vote. You sign in with an election official. You get a ballot.

You go to a private place (a voting booth) to fill out your ballot. If voting from your car is an option, you stay in your car to fill out the ballot.

Some voting systems have a printer that prints out your ballot after you have marked your choices. Or, you might mark your ballot on paper by filling in bubbles with a pen.

If the ballot is on paper, you put it in an official ballot box or machine to count the ballots (sometimes called a scanner) to cast your ballot.

Tips for successfully voting in person

Many states offer early voting – days before Election Day when you can go in person and vote. To find out if your state has early voting (and what days that will be), check with your local election officials.

If your state says that you must show an ID, be sure to bring it with you.

If you need special accommodations

Places where you can vote in person are supposed to always be physically accessible to everyone and have voting options for people with special needs (for example, people who must listen to the options rather than seeing them).

If you have a special need, check before you go.

Find information about your voting options