What ID do I need to vote?

There's no national rule: each state decides which documents it asks for at the polls.

States that ask for ID

36 states request or require some form of ID to vote in person, and most of them ask for photo ID, such as a driver's license, state ID or passport. Some also accept non-photo documents.

States that don't

In California, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont and the District of Columbia, registered voters generally don't have to show ID: their identity is verified another way, such as by signature.

First-time voters who registered by mail

Under a federal law, the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), some first-time voters who registered by mail must show ID in any state if the number they gave when registering couldn't be verified.

If you don't have the required ID

In most states that require ID, voters without it can cast a provisional ballot or sign an affidavit. In some cases you'll need to show ID within a few days for your vote to count.

Before you go

Check the exact list of accepted documents on your election office's website. You can get there by choosing your state on vote.gov.