Link(spam): US Voter information

[sathari]

In honor of National Voter Registration Day in the US, here is a lightly annotated list of links to voter information/registration sites and related information for all 50 states and the District of Columbia, with an emphasis on getting information about statewide referenda/ballot initiatives/other laws and similar that might be on a given state's ballot. (Edited 10/8/18 with a missed text link!)


First, some general reference sites for finding out about candidates and initiatives in your states:

Ballotpedia.org

Ballot.mytimetovote.com

Uselections.com

https://votesmart.org/

(Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with any of these sites and don’t know their bias, if any, though VoteSmart claims endorsement by CNN and NYT which suggests that they’re trying to reach a liberal/progressive/moderate audience, though whether that’s with good intentions or no is left as an exercise for the individual reader.)

I also noticed that when I searched for “sample ballot” by state, I often got results for particular counties in the state, so it might be worth searching for your county or municipality to find your sample ballot.

Additionally, only one state actually linked its voter app on the state website; the others I found through searching iTunes/App store. (It goes without saying these days that you might want to do your own checking to see if these are legit.) Likewise, just because I didn't find a mobile app for your state doesn't mean it doesn't exist; search away in the app store of your choice!

Voter information by state:

Alabama:
Voter information: https://sos.alabama.gov/alabama-votes

Provisional ballots by county available at https://sos.alabama.gov/alabama-votes/2018-general-sample-ballots

Ballot measures listed at https://sos.alabama.gov/alabama-votes/voter/ballot-measures/statewide

Alaska:
Voter information: http://www.elections.alaska.gov/Core/voterregistrationinformation.php

Sample ballots: http://www.elections.alaska.gov/Core/Archive/SampleBallot_2018_General.php

Arizona:
Voter information: https://azsos.gov/elections/voting-election

Ballot measures: https://apps.arizona.vote/electioninfo/elections/2018-general-election/ballot-measure/1374/4/0 (this page also has tabs for looking at federal, state, legislative, and judicial candidates)

Arkansas:
Voting guide PDF: https://www.sos.arkansas.gov/uploads/elections/voting_101_2018-compressed_%281%29.pdf

California:
Voter information page with a lot of links: https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/general-election-november-6-2018/

The mobile app is Vote California, www.sos.ca.gov, if you want to search for it in an app store.

Colorado:
Voter information: https://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/electionInfo.html?menuheaders=5

Also, this article lays out some of the ballot measures and actually showed up in my search terms above the SOS website: https://www.coloradoindependent.com/2018/08/23/colorado-ballot-measures-2018/

Connecticut:
Voter information: https://portal.ct.gov/SOTS/Election-Services/V5-Side-Navigation/ELE---Voter-Information

D.C.:
Board of Elections website: https://www.dcboe.org/

Delaware:
General voter information: https://elections.delaware.gov/index.shtml

Delaware residents can view a customized sample ballot here: https://ivote.de.gov/voterlogin.aspx

Florida:
Voter information: https://dos.myflorida.com/elections

Constitutional amendments on the statewide ballot: https://dos.myflorida.com/elections/laws-rules/constitutional-amendments/

Georgia:
Voter information: https://www.mvp.sos.ga.gov/MVP/mvp.do

Proposed constitutional amendments etc.: http://sos.ga.gov/admin/upload/2018_Constitutional_Amendments_and_Statewide_Referenda_(Final)1.pdf

The app is GA SOS.

Hawaii:
Voter information: https://elections.hawaii.gov/

Online voter registration website from which you can also view a sample ballot: https://olvr.hawaii.gov/

Idaho:
Voter information: https://idahovotes.gov/

Links to candidates and ballot initiatives: https://sos.idaho.gov/elect/index.html


Illinois:
Voter information: https://www.elections.il.gov/InfoForVoters.aspx

Indiana:
Voter information: https://www.in.gov/sos/elections/

App is Indiana Voters. Minimal information given on the app store page.

Iowa:
Voter information (and this one was hard to find based on search terms!): https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/voterinformation/index.html

Kansas:
General information: http://www.kssos.org/elections/elections_upcoming.html

You can register to vote here http://kssos.org/ (I find it personally quite interesting that Kansas is the only state that doesn’t use a .gov or .us address for its Secretary of State's website.)

Kentucky:
Voter information: https://elect.ky.gov/Pages/default.aspx

Online voter registration: https://vrsws.sos.ky.gov/ovrweb/

Louisiana:
Voter information: https://www.sos.la.gov/ElectionsAndVoting/Pages/default.aspx

Search for sample ballots by voter or parish: https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/

App is GeauxVote Mobile, and it's the only one I found that actually lists the state SOS as the publisher, of which I personally approve.

Maine:
Voter information: https://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/voter-info/voterguide.html

Ballot initiatives: https://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/upcoming/index.html

Maryland:
Voter information: https://elections.maryland.gov/

Ballot initiatives: https://elections.maryland.gov/elections/2018/Ballot_Questions/index.html

Massachusetts:
Voter information: http://blog.mass.gov/blog/government/massachusetts-voting-and-election-information/

Michigan:
Check your voter registration: https://webapps.sos.state.mi.us/MVIC/votersearch.aspx

Sample ballots by county: https://webapps.sos.state.mi.us/MVIC/SelectPublicBallot.aspx

Statewide initiatives: https://www.michigan.gov/documents/Statewide_Bal_Prop_Status_145801_7.pdf

App is MiPage, which is actually an omnibus resource for “all things Michigan”, including voter information.

Minnesota:
Voter information: https://www.sos.state.mn.us/elections-voting/

Voter registration: https://www.sos.state.mn.us/elections-voting/register-to-vote

Sample ballots by county: https://myballotmn.sos.state.mn.us/

Mississippi:
Voter information: http://www.sos.ms.gov/Elections-Voting/Pages/default.aspx

County election information: http://www.sos.ms.gov/Elections-Voting/Pages/County-Election-Info.aspx

Missouri:
Voter information: https://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/goVoteMissouri

Ballot measures: https://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/petitions/2018BallotMeasures

Montana:
General information on elections: https://sosmt.gov/elections/

Voter information: https://app.mt.gov/voterinfo/

A separate resource apparently by “Montana Election Administrators” which indicates that registered voters will be able to view sample ballots by entering their information in the website and app above: https://votinginmontana.com/

Nebraska:
General information: http://www.sos.ne.gov/dyindex.html

Sample ballots (right now they only have the primaries but it may be worth checking back periodically to see if they update for the general): http://www.sos.ne.gov/elec/2018/sample-ballots.html

Nevada:
Voter information from the legislative branch:
https://www.leg.state.nv.us/Division/Research/VoteNV/index.html
and the SOS https://www.nvsos.gov/sos/elections/election-information

Ballot initiatives: https://www.nvsos.gov/sos/elections/initiatives-referendums/2018-petitions

New Hampshire:
General information on elections: http://sos.nh.gov/Elections.aspx

There’s an app, Citizens Count NH Voter Guide, by the nonprofit Citizens Count, whose website is https://www.lfda.org

New Jersey:
Voter information: https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/voting-information.html

New Mexico:
Voter information: http://www.sos.state.nm.us/Voter_Information/voter-information-portal.aspx

(They have a now-dead link to the primary provisional ballots, which suggests that NM voters should check back to see if they update with a link for the general election.)

New York:
Voter information: https://www.elections.ny.gov/

North Carolina:
State board of elections: https://www.ncsbe.gov/index.html

Check voter registration: https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/

Voter guide by Common Cause North Carolina: http://ncvoterguide.org/

North Dakota:
Voter information: https://vip.sos.nd.gov/PortalList.aspx

Ballot initiatives: https://vip.sos.nd.gov/PortalListDetails.aspx?ptlhPKID=118&ptlPKID=1

Ohio:
Voter information: https://www.sos.state.oh.us/elections/voters/

Voter toolkit: https://www.sos.state.oh.us/elections/voters/toolkit/

Sample ballots by county: https://www.sos.state.oh.us/elections/voters/toolkit/sample-ballot/

Oklahoma:
Voter information: https://www.ok.gov/elections/

Voter tool: https://www.ok.gov/elections/Voter_Info/Online_Voter_Tool/

Sample ballots and voter verification: https://services.okelections.us/voterSearch.aspx

Oregon:
Voter information: https://sos.oregon.gov/voting-elections/Pages/default.aspx

Search for initiatives, referendums, etc.: http://egov.sos.state.or.us/elec/web_irr_search.search_form

Pennsylvania:
Voter information: https://www.pa.gov/guides/voting-and-elections/

Rhode Island:
Voter information: https://vote.sos.ri.gov/

Sample ballot by registered voting address: https://vote.sos.ri.gov/#general-search

South Carolina:
SC election commission: https://www.scvotes.org/ (SC seems to be one of the few states that doesn’t do voter information through the SOS.)

Sample ballot by voter registration: https://info.scvotes.sc.gov/eng/voterinquiry/VoterInformationRequest.aspx?PageMode=VoterInfo

South Dakota:
Voter information: https://sdsos.gov/elections-voting/upcoming-elections/general-information/default.aspx

Sample ballot by voter registration: https://sdsos.gov/elections-voting/upcoming-elections/general-information/default.aspx

Tennessee:
Voter information: https://sos.tn.gov/elections

GoVoteTN app--- one-stop information app for voters, available for Android, iPhone, and websites: https://www.govotetn.com/app.html (As of this posting, TN is the only state where I found a link to their app on their state website.)

Texas:
What’s on the ballot: https://www.votetexas.gov/voting/what.html

Voter registration: https://www.votetexas.gov/register-to-vote/index.html

Sample ballot: https://www.sos.texas.gov/elections/forms/2018-nov-sample-ballot.pdf (Texas is the only state, AFAICT, that has just up and provided one of these openly to the general public as a PDF!)

Utah:
Voter information: https://vote.utah.gov/vote/menu/index

Vermont:
Voter information: https://www.sec.state.vt.us/elections.aspx

Virginia:
Voter information: https://www.elections.virginia.gov/index.html

Referenda/ballot initiatives/amendments: https://www.elections.virginia.gov/election-law/referenda/index.html

Washington:
Voter information: https://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/

Voters’ guide to the ballot including initiatives and referenda: https://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/research/2018-voters-pamphlet.aspx

West Virginia:
Voter information: https://sos.wv.gov/elections/Pages/default.aspx

Wisconsin:
Main election page: https://elections.wi.gov/ (Wisconsin, like SC, apparently does its online voter information through its elections commission and not its secretary of state.)

Voter information: https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/

Sample ballot by voter registration: https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/PreviewMyBallot

Voter app at Wisconsin Voter App by VoteMovr which is designed more to help during voter registration drives.

Wyoming:
Voter information: https://soswy.state.wy.us/Elections/

Comments

[the_rck]

I'm not really in a position to research this, but I just voted absentee in Michigan. I took the envelope to the post office to mail it, and it cost 71 cents. The envelope has a square for a single stamp which may lead people to think that a single 'forever' stamp will get it delivered.

Some people may not even notice that postage is required because paying to vote is not how it ought to work.

I think that this might affect college students who haven't used the postal system much (and so don't realize that weight matters) and people who're housebound and so need to plan in order to get stamps. Ordering stamps online is a thing one can do, but it's another hoop to jump through for voting.

I'm not sure what postage is required for absentee voting in other states.

The instructions that came with the ballot included an option for calling to request that the city clerk send a representative to pick up the ballot, but that required that I be unable to mail it or to have one of the allowed people mail it or deliver it to the city clerk's office on my behalf.

[sathari]

That is a very very useful addendum! Thank you!