Do people have to register to vote before every election?

Individuals do not have to register to vote before every election. If they have registered, vote at times and do not move, they only have to register to vote once. The period before an election in which an individual is allowed to register depends on the state of residence.

Most states allow persons to register up to the day before the election. In four states, voters can register on the same day as the election, and one state, North Dakota, does not mandate voter registration at all. An individual must be 18 years old and a citizen to be eligible to register to vote in the United States. Over 50 million adult citizens have never registered to vote.