[1]NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–Americans wishing to vote Nov. 2 have but a few more days to beat registration deadlines.
More than half the states have registration deadlines in early October that must be met if a person wishes to vote during the fall election.
It is estimated that at least 20 million evangelicals failed to vote during the 2000 presidential election that saw George W. Bush win Florida — and thus the presidency — by only 537 votes. In addition, some surveys show that only half of the self-identified evangelicals were registered in 2000.
The Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission is encouraging evangelicals to register to vote as part of its iVoteValues.com campaign. Voters in most states can register to vote by completing an online form at iVoteValues.com.
Following is a list of voter registration deadlines, as provided by the Federal Election Commission:
Alabama — Voter registration is closed during the ten days preceding an election. Applications must be postmarked or delivered by the eleventh day prior to the election.
[2]Alaska — 30 days before the election.
Arizona — 29 days before the election.
Arkansas — 30 days before the election.
California — 15 days before the election.
Colorado — 29 days before the election.
Connecticut — 14 days before the election.
Delaware — 20 days prior to the election.
District of Columbia — 30 days before the election.
Florida — 29 days before the election.
Georgia — The fifth Monday before any general primary, general election, or presidential preference primary, or regularly scheduled special election pursuant to the Georgia Election Code. In the event that a special election is scheduled on a date other that those dates prescribed by the Georgia Election Code, registration would close on the 5th day after the call.
Hawaii — 30 days before the election.
Idaho — 25 days before the election.
Illinois — 28 days prior to each election.
Indiana — 29 days before the election.
Iowa — Must be delivered by 5 p.m. 10 days before the election, if it is a state primary or general election; 11 days before all others. Registration forms which are postmarked 15 or more days before an election are considered on time even if received after the deadline.
Kansas — Delivered 15 days before the election.
Kentucky — 29 days before the election.
Louisiana — 30 days before the election.
Maine — Delivered 10 business days before the election (or a voter may register in-person up to and including election day).
Maryland — 9:00 p.m. 21 days before the election.
Massachusetts — 20 days before the election.
Michigan — 30 days before the election.
Minnesota — Delivered by 5:00 p.m. 21 days before the election (there is also election day registration at polling places).
Mississippi — 30 days before the election.
Missouri — 28 days before the election.
Montana — 30 days before the election.
Nebraska — The third Friday before the election (or delivered by 6 p.m. on the second Friday before the election).
Nevada — 9:00 p.m. on the fifth Saturday before any primary or general election. 9:00 p.m. on the third Saturday before any recall or special election. However, if a recall or special election is held on the same day as a primary or general election, the registration closes at 9:00 p.m. on the fifth Saturday before the day for the elections.
New Hampshire — New Hampshire town and city clerks will accept this application only as a request for their own absentee voter mail-in registration form, which must be received by your city or town clerk by 10 days before the election.
New Jersey — 29 days before the election.
New Mexico — 28 days before the election.
New York — 25 days before the election.
North Carolina — Postmarked 25 days before the election or received in the elections office or designated voter registration agency site by 5:00 p.m. 25 days before the election.
North Dakota — North Dakota does not have voter registration.
Ohio — 30 days before the election.
Oklahoma — 25 days before the election.
Oregon — 21 days before the election.
Pennsylvania — 30 days before an election or primary.
Rhode Island — 30 days before the election.
South Carolina — 30 days before the election.
South Dakota — Received 15 days before the election.
Tennessee — 30 days before the election.
Texas — 30 days before the election.
Utah — 20 days before the election.
Vermont — Delivered to the town clerk before 12:00 noon on the second Saturday before the election.
Virginia — Delivered 29 days before the election.
Washington — 30 days before the election (or delivered in-person to the local voter registration office 15 days before the election).
West Virginia — 20 days before the election.
Wisconsin — For municipalities where voter registration is required, 13 days before the election (or completed in the local voter registration office up to 5:00 pm. 1 day before the election, or completed at the polling place on election day).
Wyoming — Registration is maintained by each county.
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