Two people smile while waving flags and wearing I voted stickers.

Backyard Productions/Alamy Stock Photo (vote background); fstop123/Getty Images (teen voters)

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5 Big Questions About Voting

Millions of Americans will vote in the upcoming presidential election. Here’s what you need to know. 

1. Who is allowed to vote in the United States? 

More than 200 million Americans are eligible to vote in the presidential election. People in the U.S. are allowed to vote if they are: 

  • citizens of the U.S. 
  • at least 18 years old on Election Day
  • registered, or officially signed up, to vote.* To register to vote in a state, a person must be able to prove he or she lives there.

* Not required in North Dakota

2. I hear adults talk about how important the right to vote is. Is it really that big a deal?

Library of Congress/Interim Archives/Getty Images

Protesters call for equal voting rights at the March on Washington in 1963.

It’s a huge deal! Voting is what makes the United States a democracy. Having the right to vote gives Americans a voice in how the country, their states, and their cities are governed. 

“If we don’t vote, we’re allowing other people to decide who the leaders are,” says Kimberly Wehle. She’s the author of the book What You Need to Know About Voting—and Why.

Many Americans faced a long struggle to gain this fundamental right. When George Washington was elected in 1789, only about 6 percent of the population was allowed to vote—mostly white men who owned land. 

Over time, Black people, women, and Indigenous people gained the right to vote. Still, they often faced obstacles. For example, racist laws in some states prevented many Black people from voting for decades after they legally won the right.

3. How will American voters cast their ballots on Election Day?

On November 3, many voters will go to their local polling places, such as schools, churches, and firehouses. Throughout the day, people will cast votes for president, members of Congress, and state and local leaders. In some places, voters will fill out a paper ballot. In others, they will mark boxes for the candidates of their choice on a computer screen.

On Election Day, some people may wait in long lines for hours for their chance to vote. But tens of millions of Americans might have already voted by then.

4. How can people vote before Election Day?

There are a few different ways. Most states and Washington, D.C., offer early voting. People in those places can cast their votes at polling places on specific dates before November 3. 

Also, every state allows some form of voting by mail. Five states—Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah, and Washington—hold their elections almost entirely by mail. Voters receive their ballots a few weeks before Election Day. The ballots must be completed and returned on or before November 3.

Nearly 1 in 4 votes for president in 2016 were cast using absentee or mail-in ballots.

Source: U.S. Election Assistance Commission

People who’ll be away from home, such as college students and members of the U.S. military, can also vote by mail. They use what’s called an absentee ballot. The number of Americans who vote by mail is expected to reach an all-time high this year.

5. Why are so many people expected to vote before Election Day this year?

JASON REDMOND/AFP via Getty Images

An election worker in Washington State sorts through mail-in ballots. 

The short answer is Covid-19. Because of the pandemic, many states have made it easier to vote by mail so voters can avoid crowded polling places. But many Americans are worried about how this might affect the election results.

President Trump has repeatedly claimed that mail-in voting will lead to widespread voter fraud—the criminal attempt to increase or decrease the vote count. But experts say there’s little evidence to support that claim.

“It’s actually really, really rare because most people aren’t going to risk going to jail for five years to cast one fake vote,” says Wehle. 

Meanwhile, many people worry that the flood of mail-in ballots will lead to delivery delays, meaning their votes may not be counted on time. However, the U.S. Postal Service says voters can rely on it for “timely delivery of election mail.”

With more mail-in ballots, it will take election officials longer to tally the results. Some experts say it could be days or weeks before we know who won the presidential election. 

1. Summarize the main requirements for voting in U.S. elections.

2. How have voting rights expanded in the U.S. over time?

3. What are some reasons that many people are voting by mail in the 2020 election?

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