Thirty-four of the 49 states and districts listed here ask in-person voters for identification at the polls today, but what counts as ID, and what happens if you forget it, varies a lot. Some states accept a utility bill or a voter card. Others turn away nobody but make you come back with a photo ID within days for your ballot to count.
California, New York and 11 other jurisdictions generally do not ask registered voters for ID at all. Oregon and Washington vote by mail.
ID rules by state
| State | What to bring | If you don't have it |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Photo ID | Provisional ballot; show ID by 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, unless two poll officials vouch for you |
| Alaska | ID; non-photo accepted | Questioned ballot |
| Arizona | One photo ID or two non-photo documents | Provisional ballot; show ID by Tuesday, Nov. 10 |
| Arkansas | Photo ID | Provisional ballot; show ID by noon Monday, Nov. 9 |
| California | No ID for most voters | Not applicable |
| Colorado | ID; non-photo accepted | Provisional ballot; provide ID within eight days |
| Connecticut | ID requested; non-photo accepted | Sign an affidavit and vote a regular ballot |
| Delaware | ID requested; non-photo accepted | Sign an Affirmation of Voter Identity and vote a regular ballot |
| District of Columbia | No ID for registered voters | Not applicable |
| Florida | Photo ID with signature | Provisional ballot, counted if your signature matches |
| Georgia | Photo ID | Provisional ballot; the county registrar decides |
| Idaho | Photo ID requested | Sign an affidavit and vote a regular ballot |
| Illinois | No ID for most voters | Not applicable |
| Indiana | Photo ID | Provisional ballot; follow up by noon Friday, Nov. 13 |
| Iowa | ID; Iowa voter ID card accepted | Another registered voter in your precinct can vouch under oath; otherwise provisional, ID by noon Monday, Nov. 9 |
| Kansas | Photo ID | Provisional ballot; show ID before the county canvass |
| Kentucky | Photo ID requested | Sign an affirmation and show another listed ID, or be known to the officer |
| Louisiana | Photo ID requested | Sign a voter identification affidavit |
| Maine | No ID for registered voters | Not applicable |
| Maryland | No ID for most voters | Not applicable |
| Massachusetts | No ID for most voters | Not applicable |
| Michigan | Photo ID requested | Sign an affidavit and vote a regular ballot |
| Minnesota | No ID if your registration is current | Not applicable |
| Mississippi | Photo ID | Affidavit ballot; show ID by Tuesday, Nov. 10 |
| Missouri | Photo ID | Provisional ballot, counted if you return with ID today or your signature matches |
| Montana | Photo ID, or another photo ID plus a bill or bank statement | Provisional ballot; ID by 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4, or a signature match |
| Nebraska | Photo ID | Provisional ballot; show ID by Tuesday, Nov. 10 |
| Nevada | No ID for most voters | Not applicable |
| New Hampshire | Photo ID | A 2026 law ended the affidavit option; check with your town clerk |
| New Jersey | No ID for most voters | Not applicable |
| New Mexico | No ID for most voters | Not applicable |
| New York | No ID for most voters | Not applicable |
| North Carolina | Photo ID | Fill out an ID Exception Form and vote a provisional ballot |
| North Dakota | North Dakota license or ID, tribal ID or long-term care certificate | Set-aside ballot; show ID within 13 days |
| Ohio | Photo ID | Provisional ballot; show ID within four days |
| Oklahoma | ID; free county voter ID card accepted | Sign an affidavit and vote a provisional ballot |
| Oregon | Votes by mail | Not applicable |
| Pennsylvania | No ID, except the first time at a polling place | Not applicable |
| Rhode Island | Photo ID | Provisional ballot, counted if your signature matches |
| South Carolina | Photo ID | Provisional ballot; show ID before certification |
| South Dakota | Photo ID requested | Sign an affidavit |
| Tennessee | Photo ID | Provisional ballot; show ID by Thursday, Nov. 5 |
| Texas | Photo ID | Provisional ballot; show ID within six days, or sign a reasonable impediment declaration |
| Utah | One photo ID or two non-photo documents | Provisional ballot; ID by noon before the county canvass |
| Vermont | No ID for most voters | Not applicable |
| Virginia | ID; non-photo accepted | Sign an ID statement and vote a regular ballot |
| Washington | Votes by mail | Not applicable |
| West Virginia | Photo ID | Provisional ballot, counted if your signature matches |
| Wyoming | ID; Medicare or Medicaid card accepted | Provisional ballot; documents by close of business Wednesday, Nov. 4 |
Hawaii and Wisconsin are not listed; check with your county or municipal clerk there.
If you forget your ID or are voting for the first time
Don't leave without voting. In almost every state that asks for ID, a registered voter without it can still cast some kind of ballot, though what happens to that ballot depends on the state.
In states such as Michigan and Virginia, you sign a statement confirming who you are and vote a regular ballot that counts like any other. Florida and West Virginia are among the states where the ballot is provisional but counts if your signature matches the one on file. In the strictest states, Indiana, Ohio and Texas among them, a provisional ballot counts only if you bring an acceptable ID to election officials within a set number of days, so note the deadline in the table and keep the paperwork the poll worker gives you.
New Hampshire is the exception. A 2026 change to its statute removed the affidavit some voters used in past elections, so anyone there without ID should talk to the town clerk today.
Even in states that don't ask most voters for ID, federal law can require it of someone voting for the first time after registering by mail without a verified driver's license or Social Security number. A current photo ID satisfies that rule, and so does a copy of a utility bill, bank statement, paycheck or government document showing your name and address. Pennsylvania asks every voter for ID the first time they vote at a new polling place.
