Washington, District of Columbia Elections & Voting

Election Day is November 8

October 3 DCBOE begins sending mail-in ballots to all registered voters
October 14 Mail ballot drop boxes open
October 18 Deadline to register to vote (same-day registration is available during Early Voting and on Election Day)
October 31 First day of Early Voting
November 6 Last day of Early Voting
November 8 Deadline to postmark mail-in ballots
November 8 Election Day

To register to vote in the District of Columbia, you must:

Be a United States Citizen
Be a resident of the District of Columbia for at least 30 days immediately prior to the election
Not claim voting residence or the right to vote in another U.S. state or territory
Be 18 years old (16- and 17-year-olds can pre-register)
Not have been found by a court to be legally incompetent to vote

How to register to vote:

ONLINE, using the voter registration portal.

By MAIL, E-MAIL, or FAX, downloading the Voter Registration Application and following these steps:

Open and print the Mail in Voter Registration Application
Complete fields 1 to 13.
Sign the form.
Submit the form by mail (postage prepaid), fax, or just take a picture with your cell phone and send it by email.
- By mail or in person at D.C. Board of Elections, 1015 Half Street, SE, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20003
- By email (scanned as an attachment) at DCRegistrations@dcboe.org
- By fax at (202) 347-2648

IN-PERSON, visiting our office or any voter registration agency

SAME-DAY REGISTRATION: If the deadlines for the receipt of voter registration applications and updates submitted online, by mail, or in person at the Board of Elections or another voter registration agency have passed, you can still register during early voting or on Election Day. To register when you vote, you must provide proof of residence that shows your name and current District of Columbia address. Acceptable forms of proof of residence include:

A copy of a current and valid government-issued photo identification
A utility bill for water, gas, electricity, cable, internet, telephone, or cellular phone service issued no earlier than 90 days before the election
A savings, checking, credit, or money market account statement from a bank or credit union issued no earlier than 90 days before the election
A paycheck, stub, or earning statement that includes the employer’s name, address, and telephone number and was issued no earlier than 90 days before the election
A government-issued document or check from a federal or District agency, other than the Board of Elections, issued no earlier than 90 days before the election
A current residential lease or rental agreement
An occupancy statement from a District homeless shelter issued no earlier than 90 days before the election
A tuition or housing bill from a District of Columbia college or university issued for the current academic or housing term

If you are registering to vote in the District of Columbia for the first time and you submit your application by mail or online, you must either include a copy of one of the following documents with your application or present a copy of the document the first time you vote:

A copy of a current and valid government-issued photo identification
A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, or paycheck (dated no earlier than 90 days before the date upon which you mail your application or, if you do not submit proof by mail or online, 90 days before the date you vote)
Any other government-issued document

Voter ID Requirements

Registered voters do not need to present identification or proof of residence to vote. If you plan to register in person during the Early Voting period or on Election Day, you will need to provide proof of residence in order to register and vote.

Mail-In Ballots

The DC Board of Elections will mail each registered DC voter a mail-in ballot ahead of the November 8, 2022 Election.

To ensure that you receive your mail-in ballot at the correct address, it is critical that you CHECKand UPDATE (if necessary) your voter registration.
Mail ballot drop boxes will be distributed to 55 locations throughout the District, and will be open to voters starting in October. Once mail ballot drop boxes open, voters will be able to return their voted mail-in ballots to any mail ballot drop box location until 8:00 p.m. ET on November 8.
Voters may also return their voted mail-in ballot via USPS (must be postmarked by November 8 and received by the Board of Elections no later than November 15), or in person at any Vote Center during the Early Voting period or on Election Day.
IMPORTANT: Sign and date the Voter’s Oath on the back of the Return Ballot Envelope. You MUST sign the Voter’s Oath in order for your vote to count!

Early Voting

Early Voting is available to all voters at Early Vote Centers. To find Early Vote Center, Election Day Vote Center, and Mail Ballot Drop Box locations near you, we encourage you to use our Vote Center Location Tool. Voters may cast their ballots during Early Voting or on Election Day AT ANY VOTE CENTER regardless of their residential address.

Resources

Native Vote Coordinator

Samantha Eldridge
Senior Liaison
National Education Association
Office of Minoroty Community Organizing and Partner
seldridge@nea.org

Major Party Contact Information