How Old Do You Have to Be to Vote? Who Can Vote in U.S. Elections, and Who Cannot

By Dr. AtlasPublished Sep 17, 2026

You can vote in U.S. federal, state and local elections if you are a U.S. citizen, meet your state's residency requirements, are 18 years old on or before Election Day and are registered by your state's deadline, according to USA.gov. ^[1] Noncitizens, including green card holders, cannot vote in federal or state elections, and the rules after a felony conviction depend on the state. ^[1][6][7]

Most of the detail is state law, which is why the residency, registration and felony-conviction rules below differ from state to state. ^[1][7] Federal law adds rules that apply in every state, starting with age and citizenship. ^[2][3]

How old do you have to be to vote in 2026?

Eighteen. You must be 18 years old on or before Election Day, so for the general election on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, anyone born on or before November 3, 2008 meets the age requirement. ^[1]

“The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age.”

U.S. Constitution, Twenty-Sixth Amendment, Section 1 ^[2]

“In almost every state, you can register to vote before you turn 18 if you will be 18 by Election Day,” USA.gov says, and “Some states allow 17-year-olds who will be 18 by Election Day to vote in primaries.” ^[1] Georgia's list of requirements reads “At least 17 1/2 years of age to register and 18 to vote”; Oklahoma lets people who are “at least 17½ years old” pre-register. ^[16][20]

Can non citizens vote?

Not in federal elections. Under 18 U.S.C. § 611 it is “unlawful for any alien to vote in any election held solely or in part for the purpose of electing a candidate for the office of President, Vice President, Presidential elector, Member of the Senate, Member of the House of Representatives, Delegate from the District of Columbia, or Resident Commissioner,” with one exception, described below. ^[3] The penalty is a fine, up to one year in prison, or both. ^[3]

State elections are closed to noncitizens as well. “Non-citizens, including permanent legal residents, cannot vote in federal, state, and most local elections,” USA.gov says. ^[1] U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) puts it this way: “Only citizens can vote in federal elections. Most states also restrict the right to vote, in most elections, to U.S. citizens.” ^[5]

The local exception

Section 611 leaves one opening. It does not apply when an election is held partly for another purpose, noncitizens are authorized to take part in that other contest “under a State constitution or statute or a local ordinance,” and that voting is run separately, with no “opportunity to vote for a candidate for any one or more of such Federal offices.” ^[3] USA.gov's list carries the same caveat: “some areas allow non-citizens to vote in local elections only.” ^[1]

San Francisco is one example. Its Department of Elections tells noncitizen parents, guardians and caregivers of children living in the city, “You can only vote on Board of Education contests,” and warns that naturalization applicants “will be asked whether you have ever registered or voted in a federal, state, or local election in the United States.” ^[13] The page says a Superior Court judge ruled the program unconstitutional in July 2022 and a California Court of Appeal upheld it on August 8, 2023; when read on September 17, 2026, it still gave “November 5, 2024” as the next Election Day. ^[13]

Can green card holders vote?

No. A green card holder is a permanent resident, not a citizen, and USCIS is explicit in its list of a permanent resident's responsibilities: “‘support’ does not include voting. Permanent residents cannot vote in federal, state, or local elections.” ^[6]

The penalties go beyond § 611. Under 18 U.S.C. § 1015(f), whoever “knowingly makes any false statement or claim that he is a citizen of the United States in order to register to vote or to vote in any Federal, State, or local election (including an initiative, recall, or referendum)” faces a fine, up to five years in prison, or both. ^[4] Immigration law adds its own consequence: “Any alien who has voted in violation of any Federal, State, or local constitutional provision, statute, ordinance, or regulation is deportable.” ^[9] Each provision has the same narrow exception, for a person whose parents are or were both citizens, who lived here permanently before age 16 and who “reasonably believed” he or she was a citizen. ^[3][4][9]

The national mail voter registration form asks first, “Are you a citizen of the United States of America?” ^[8] Its oath warns that a signer who gives false information “may be fined, imprisoned, or (if not a U.S. citizen) deported from or refused entry to the United States.” ^[8]

The route to the ballot is naturalization: “You are not a U.S. citizen until you take the Oath of Allegiance at a naturalization ceremony,” USCIS says; after the oath, “you will have the opportunity to register to vote.” ^[12]

Residency: you vote where you live

You must meet your state's residency requirements, and each state writes its own. ^[1] Georgia's list says “A legal resident of Georgia and of the county in which you wish to vote”; Arizona's, “a resident of Arizona and the county listed on your registration.” ^[14][16]

• No fixed address: “You can be experiencing homelessness and still meet these requirements.” ^[1]
• Abroad: U.S. citizens living outside the United States can vote, as can dual citizens; for citizens born abroad who have never lived here, eligibility “is based on the state where your parents last lived or were registered to vote,” in the states that permit it. ^[1]
• U.S. territories: “U.S. citizens residing in U.S. territories cannot vote for president in the general election.” ^[1]

Can felons vote? It depends on the state

There is no single national rule. “In some states, voters keep their right to vote after a felony conviction. In most states, though, people who are convicted of a felony cannot vote for some time afterward,” says the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division in its Guide to State Voting Rules That Apply After a Criminal Conviction. ^[7] At one end, “In Maine, Puerto Rico, Vermont, and Washington D.C., a criminal conviction never restricts your voting rights.” ^[7] Elsewhere restoration is sometimes automatic and sometimes requires “additional steps before they can register,” and a misdemeanor conviction “usually does not affect voting rights.” ^[7]

The guide says it “is up to date through September 2024,” so each row of the table below comes instead from the state's own official page, as verified for the Ledger's state voting guides on September 17, 2026. ^[7]

A restored right is not a restored registration. “In Iowa, an individual's voter registration is cancelled if they are convicted of a felony,” and the Justice Department's description of automatic restoration ends: “All they need to do is register to vote again where they now live.” ^[7][17]

Other limits: registration, mental capacity and ID

• Registration: you must be “registered to vote by your state's voter registration deadline,” and “North Dakota does not require voter registration.” ^[1] See how to register for November 3, 2026.
• Mental capacity: “Some people who have a mental disability may not be able to vote,” and rules vary by state. ^[1] In Oklahoma, “Persons judged incapacitated by a court may not register to vote”; the State Election Board's page describes a separate rule for people judged partially incapacitated, so check it or ask your county election board. ^[20]
• Identification is a separate question: see what ID to bring.

Would the SAVE Act change who can vote?

It would not change the eligibility rules above; it would change what an applicant must show. The official title of H.R. 22, the SAVE Act, says it would “require proof of United States citizenship to register an individual to vote in elections for Federal office.” ^[10] The House passed it 220–208 on April 10, 2025, and the status record shows no action since the Senate received it that day; the record for S. 1383, which carries the later SAVE America Act, shows no presentment to the President. ^[10][11] Those status records were last updated on August 10 and August 20, 2026; as read on September 17, 2026, neither bill is law. ^[10][11] What Is the SAVE Act? has the text, the votes and what supporters and opponents say.

Questions and answers