US Vote Blog

Love is all around us, including love for civics. A love story about why civic engagement is vital and three ways to fulfill your civic duty.

Democracy could use our affection and attention right about now. Americans are falling out of love with our system of government.

When a civic relationship has soured, there may be a strong impulse to pull back from participating in elections. To the contrary, whether our candidates win or lose, whether our preferred policies become implemented or are discarded, Americans simply can’t give up on democracy.

What are the different ways that primaries are conducted?

There are five types of primaries conducted in the United States: open primaries, primaries open to unaffiliated voters, partially open primaries, closed primaries, and semi-closed primaries. Here we provide details on the several types of primaries.

The United States is the only major democracy using primary elections to narrow down nominees for office from a selection of candidates. And we haven’t always done it this way.

The 2024 Voter Experience Survey Has Now Been Closed. See our Press Release on Preliminary Findings.

While voting is a fundamental right of U.S. citizens, that does not mean that everyone has the same experience voting. On the contrary. We’d like to learn more about your experience. U.S. Vote Foundation knows that information coming directly from voters is the most powerful for stimulating improvements in the voting process.

As the General Presidential 2024 election is approaching, a lot of you might wonder: “Who will be the next U.S. President?” We are wondering, too!

It's a great reason to be on the lookout for interesting books and articles on the topic of voting rights and elections. This time, we came across a fascinating, classic book on the predicting mythology of presidential elections.

In "Predicting the Next President: The Keys to the White House", 2024 Edition, by Allan J. Lichtman argues that presidential elections are not about the polls or candidates, leadership or personalities, campaigns or speeches.

Voting is one of the most important rights, privileges, and responsibilities we have as Americans, regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and physical or mental ability. Your vote is your voice on who you want to represent you on local, state, and national levels and your voice on issues important to you.

Collectively, all voters including voters with disabilities can influence policies and impact outcomes that affect our families, our children, and our neighbors.

Absentee voting provides ease and convenience for domestic and overseas voters alike.

Indeed, many registered voters, particularly since the pandemic, have opted for this method. A mail-in or absentee ballot allows you to vote at your leisure: You can fill out a mail ballot from the comfort of your home, and avoid lines during the early voting period or on Election Day.

That said, sometimes voters change their minds before the day of the election and decide they’d rather vote in person, even after having requested an absentee ballot. That shouldn’t become a barrier to voting. You may need a little help figuring out what to do.

Did you know that voter turnout is historically lower for those with a disability than those without? In 2022, 121.9 million citizens cast their vote, of which 15.8 million reported having a disability. Another 15.3 million were said to have a disability, but did not vote.

It’s important to also consider care givers and those affected by someone with a disability when discussing voting gaps. The percentage of in-person voters with a disability needing assistance rose from 6% to 11% in 2022. While 10.3 million individuals living with someone with a disability did not vote in the 2022 election.

Is there still time to request my ballot? When are ballots mailed out and where's mine? Those questions and more are answered in this blog.

Here are the most commonly asked Domestic and Overseas Absentee Ballot questions from our Voter Help Desk. Have a look and see if your question is answered.

If you have a voting question that is not answered in the list, please consult our Voter Help Desk! 99.9% of all voter questions can be found in our FAQ. And in addition, we respond to questions you submit with personal answers. But here are the top 15. See if your answer is already waiting for you...

For many absentee / vote-by-mail voters waiting for their ballot to arrive, it's usually mid-October when the alarm goes off. “Where's my ballot?” is question number one. If you are one of those voters, here's what to do!

First - check to see if your state offers ballot tracking. Many states now have ballot tracking tools for voters to check the status of their ballot. These are excellent services that allow you to see that your ballot is sent to you, received, and counted.

Continue reading for additional steps and links to services that will help you to find your absentee ballot.