You Can Now Register to Vote Via Text
Still not registered to vote? What are you waiting for! HelloVote, a new voter-registration tool will let you register by text or Facebook Messenger. It couldn't be easier. Simply send a message to 384-387 or go to m.me/hellovote to get started. You'll need to fill out a form with some basic information like your name and mailing address, and in some states, HelloVote will take care of the rest. If your state requires a signature, HelloVote will mail you a pre-filled form, so you just have to sign it and put it in the mail. They even include a stamped envelope, so you have no excuse.
Register now, and you'll be just in time for early voting. Next week Americans in six states will head to the polls to cast their votes for president.
In total, 37 states (plus Washington, D.C.) will offer early voting in some form this year, with 27 allowing voters to cast their votes by mail. It's a practice that is becoming more and more popular-in the 1970s, only 5 percent of Americans voted early as compared to 31 percent in the 2012 election, according to U.S. Census data.
"We can't say this will be locked up with early voting, but it can absolutely make a huge difference," said Marlon Marshall, Hillary Clinton's director of state campaigns and political engagement of the process. "Every early voter we get is one less person we need to mobilize on Election Day."
The Trump camp, too, is trying to lock up votes early, considering that historically, the most fervent political supporters cast their ballots ahead of election day, making it a key indicator of a candidate's prospects in the final days of the campaign.
If you want to beat the rush to the polls, check out the schedule below to see if your state offers in-person early voting (the dates indicate when early poll voting opens in each state), or head to vote.org to learn more about the absentee ballot process.
Early Voting Schedule
September
23: Idaho, Minnesota, South Dakota, Vermont, Wyoming
24: New Jersey
29: Illinois, Iowa, North Dakota
October
9: Maine
10: California, Nebraska
11: Montana, New Mexico
12: Arizona, Indiana, Ohio
17: Georgia
19: Kansas, Tennessee
20: North Carolina
21: Washington
22: Nevada
24: Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Massachusetts, Texas, Wisconsin
25: Hawaii, Louisiana, Utah
26: West Virginia
27: Maryland
28: Washington, D.C.
29: Florida
November
3: Oklahoma
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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