Midterm voter registration ends for 18 states today
There are 18 states with midterm registration deadlines Tuesday, including states that could prove pivotal in the midterms.
All states, with the exception of North Dakota, require registration before voters can hit the polls.
In 2014, turnout of the voting-eligible population in the midterms was only 36.4 percent, the lowest since World War II, according to the United States Election Project, an electoral systems tracking site run by a University of Florida political science professor.
Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Utah all have deadlines today.
Voters in Mississippi can register by mail through the end of the day. In Nevada, the deadline to register by mail until the end of the day, but can register in person until Oct. 16. Residents in Illinois have an in-person deadline Tuesday but can register online until Oct. 21.
Florida’s Democratic party filed a lawsuit against the state this morning to extend the registration deadline as Hurricane Michael makes its way toward the state. They argued “thousands of ineligible voters will be disenfranchised,” if the registration deadline is not extended.
South Carolina has already extended its deadline 10 days in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence.
Celebrities and politicians alike have been calling their followers to action on social media Tuesday. Rihanna tweeted out to her followers, asking them to make time to get registered.
President Donald Trump also sent out a blast to his followers, directing them to the GOP's voter registration website.
Voters who are at least 18 and meet their state’s voter registration requirements can register to vote by filling out their state’s form. Residents can go to their local or state election offices to register, but most states allow online registration.
Vote.gov has a complete list of each state’s registration requirements on their website.
Other states' deadlines are as follows: Oct. 10: MissouriOct. 12: Oklahoma, North CarolinaOct. 13: DelawareOct. 16: Kansas, Maryland, New Jersey, Oregon, and West VirginiaOct. 17: South CarolinaOct. 22: Alabama, California and South DakotaOct. 29: ColoradoOct. 30: Connecticut
