Real-world examples of how to fill out a voter registration application correctly

Starting with real examples instead of theory

Let’s skip the vague theory and jump right into examples of how to fill out a voter registration application in real life. The form layout varies a bit by state, but most U.S. voter registration applications ask for the same core information:

• Are you a U.S. citizen, and will you be 18 by Election Day?
• Your full legal name
• Home address and mailing address (if different)
• Date of birth
• Identification (driver’s license, state ID, or last four digits of your Social Security number)
• Party choice (if your state asks)
• Signature and date

We’ll walk through several real examples so you can see exactly how different people would fill out those boxes.

Example of a first-time 18-year-old voter

Picture Maya. She just turned 18, still lives with her parents, and is registering to vote for the first time.

Here’s how her example of a voter registration application would look in plain language:

• Citizenship and age questions: Maya checks “Yes” for “Are you a U.S. citizen?” and “Yes” for “Will you be 18 on or before Election Day?” If she marked “No” to either, her application would be rejected.
• Full name: She writes “Maya Elise Johnson” – first, middle, last – just like on her driver’s license.
• Home address: She uses the address where she actually sleeps at night, not her college address yet: “123 Oak Street, Springfield, Illinois 62704”.
• Mailing address: She wants mail sent to her dorm in the fall, so she lists: “P.O. Box 45, Campus Mail Center, Springfield, IL 62703.”
• Date of birth: She writes “08/15/2006” (month/day/year – most forms use this order).
• ID number: She has an Illinois driver’s license, so she fills in that number. If she didn’t have one, she’d use the last four digits of her Social Security number instead.
• Party choice: Illinois doesn’t require a party registration on the form, so she leaves that section blank if it’s not requested. In states that do ask, she would pick her party or choose “No party / unaffiliated” if available.
• Signature and date: She signs “Maya E. Johnson” and adds the date she’s filling it out.

This is one of the best examples of how to fill out a voter registration application if you’re a brand-new voter: clear, simple, and completely honest about where you live and how old you are.

If you want to compare this to an official form, you can look at the federal mail-in form from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) here: https://www.eac.gov/voters/national-mail-voter-registration-form

Examples of how to fill out a voter registration application after moving

Moving is where people start to get confused, so let’s use real examples of two different movers.

Example of someone moving within the same state

Alex moved from one city in Texas to another but stayed in the same state.

On his application:

• He checks the box for “Change of address” if his state’s form has it.
• Name: “Alexander Luis Rivera.” Same as his ID.
• Home address: He lists his new apartment: “7700 Greenway Dr, Apt 210, Austin, TX 78757.”
• Previous address: He fills in his old address so the election office can update their records: “450 Pine St, San Marcos, TX 78666.”
• Party: Texas does not register voters by party on the form, so he leaves that blank.
• ID: He uses his Texas driver’s license number.
• Signature and date: Signed and dated.

This is a textbook example of how to fill out a voter registration application when you’ve moved but stayed in the same state: always list your new address as your residence and your old address where the form asks about former registration.

Example of moving to a new state

Now take Brianna, who moved from Ohio to North Carolina.

• She fills out North Carolina’s voter registration application, not Ohio’s.
• Citizenship and age: She marks “Yes” to both.
• Home address: Her new North Carolina address: “95 Maple Lane, Durham, NC 27701.”
• Previous registration: Where the form asks if she was registered elsewhere, she lists: “Formerly registered in Columbus, OH 43215.”
• ID: She doesn’t have a North Carolina driver’s license yet, so she uses the last four digits of her Social Security number.
• Party: North Carolina allows her to choose a party or “Unaffiliated.” She chooses “Unaffiliated.”
• Signature and date: Signed and dated.

Her old Ohio registration will be canceled once North Carolina processes her new one. This is one of the best examples of how to handle a state-to-state move.

For official state-by-state rules on moving and registration, you can check the USA.gov voting page: https://www.usa.gov/register-to-vote

Example of a newly naturalized citizen registering to vote

Here’s another very common situation: Samir just became a U.S. citizen in 2024 and wants to vote for the first time.

On his application:

• Citizenship: He checks “Yes” to “Are you a U.S. citizen?” This box is non-negotiable. If you are not a U.S. citizen, you cannot register.
• Age: He will be 18 before Election Day, so he checks “Yes” there too.
• Name: He uses the name on his naturalization certificate and new ID: “Samir R. Khan.”
• Home address: “4021 Lakeview Blvd, Apt 3B, Seattle, WA 98103.”
• Mailing address: Same as home, so he either leaves it blank or writes “Same as above,” depending on the form.
• ID: Washington accepts a driver’s license number or the last four digits of a Social Security number. He doesn’t drive yet, so he uses his SSN last four.
• Previous registration: He leaves this blank because he has never been registered before.
• Party: Washington votes by mail and does not require party registration on the form, so he skips that.
• Signature and date: He signs his full name and dates it.

This is one of the clearest examples of how to fill out a voter registration application as a new citizen: always wait until you are officially naturalized, then answer the citizenship question truthfully.

The Department of Homeland Security offers general information for new citizens, and you can pair that with election information from Vote.gov: https://www.vote.gov

Example of changing your name after marriage or divorce

Next, let’s look at an example of someone changing their name. Jordan got married and changed her last name from “Taylor” to “Garcia.” She’s already registered under her old name.

On her new registration form:

• She checks the box for “Name change” if her state includes it.
• Current legal name: “Jordan Marie Garcia.”
• Previous name: Where the form asks for a former name, she writes “Jordan Marie Taylor.”
• Home address: Same house as before: “580 Willow Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85016.”
• Previous registration information: She fills in that she was registered in the same county under her old name.
• ID: She uses her updated Arizona driver’s license number with her new last name.
• Party: She keeps the same party she had before.
• Signature and date: She signs “Jordan M. Garcia” and dates it.

This is one of those real examples that shows why the “previous name” section matters. It helps the election office link your old registration to your new legal name.

Examples include college students, people in the military, and voters without a fixed address

Life isn’t always neat and tidy, so let’s walk through a few more real examples of how to fill out a voter registration application when your situation is a little more complicated.

Example of a college student

Lena is a college student from Florida attending school in Georgia. She has two choices: register where she goes to school or stay registered at her home address.

If she chooses to register in Georgia:

• Home address (residence): Her campus address in Georgia, where she actually lives during the school year.
• Mailing address: Same as residence, or a campus P.O. box.
• Previous registration: She lists her old Florida address and notes she was previously registered there.

If she decides to stay registered in Florida instead:

• She keeps her Florida registration and does not register in Georgia.
• She may vote by mail using her Florida registration.

This is a good example of how to fill out a voter registration application while in college: you choose one place as your voting residence, not both.

Example of an active-duty military voter

Marcus is in the U.S. Army, stationed in Germany, but his legal residence is in Virginia.

• He registers in Virginia using his Virginia home of record as his residence address.
• For mailing address, he uses his APO military mailing address so he can receive ballots.
• He may also fill out a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) through the Federal Voting Assistance Program to request absentee ballots.

This is one of the best examples of how to fill out a voter registration application when you’re overseas: your voting residence is still your home state, even if you’re physically abroad.

You can find detailed guidance from the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) here: https://www.fvap.gov

Example of someone without a traditional street address

Renee is experiencing homelessness and sometimes stays at a shelter, sometimes with friends.

Most states allow her to register using a description of where she usually stays:

• Residence address: She might draw a small map or describe a specific intersection or park area, as instructed by the form, to show where she sleeps most often.
• Mailing address: She uses the address of a local shelter or service organization where she can reliably receive mail.

This is a powerful example of how to fill out a voter registration application when you don’t have a fixed address: the law still gives you a way to claim a voting residence.

Common mistakes these examples help you avoid

Looking at all these examples of how to fill out a voter registration application, a few patterns pop up where people often make mistakes:

• Leaving the citizenship question blank or checking the wrong box. That’s usually an automatic rejection.
• Using a mailing address where you don’t actually live as your residence. Your residence address should reflect where you physically live, even if your mail goes somewhere else.
• Forgetting to sign and date the form. It sounds basic, but it’s one of the most common errors.
• Not including a previous name or address after moving or changing your name, which can slow down processing.
• Writing a nickname instead of your legal name that matches your ID.

The real value of walking through these best examples is that you can compare your own situation: “Am I more like Maya the first-time voter, or Alex who moved in-state, or Jordan who changed her name?” Then you mirror how they handled each section.

For more official tips on avoiding mistakes, the EAC has guidance for voters here: https://www.eac.gov/voters

2024–2025 notes: deadlines, online registration, and ID trends

A quick reality check based on the 2024–2025 landscape:

• Online registration is now available in most states. The questions are almost identical to the paper form; the main difference is you type instead of write. Your answers should look just like the examples of how to fill out a voter registration application above.
• Deadlines vary by state. Some allow registration right up to Election Day (same-day registration), while others cut off registration 15–30 days before. You can check your state’s rules through Vote.gov: https://www.vote.gov
• ID requirements are tightening in some states. Even if your state doesn’t require ID to register, it might require ID to vote in person. Always enter your driver’s license or state ID number if you have one; if not, use the last four digits of your Social Security number when the form offers that option.

When you look at examples of how to fill out a voter registration application from older guides, the basics still apply, but online options and ID rules may have changed. Always double-check with your state or a trusted .gov site before you submit.

Quick FAQ with more examples

What are some examples of information I must provide on a voter registration application?

Most forms will ask for your full legal name, home address, mailing address (if different), date of birth, confirmation of U.S. citizenship, and an ID number such as a driver’s license or the last four digits of your Social Security number. The real examples in this guide show how different people fill in each of those.

Can you give an example of how a college student should choose an address?

Yes. If you live most of the year in your college town and consider that your home, you can use your dorm or off-campus address as your residence and a campus P.O. box as your mailing address. If you think of your parents’ house as home and go back there often, you can stay registered there instead and vote by mail. The key is to pick one residence, as in Lena’s example.

Are there examples of when I should list a previous address or name?

You should list a previous address or name if you moved to a new place or changed your legal name since you last registered. The examples of Alex (moving within Texas), Brianna (moving from Ohio to North Carolina), and Jordan (changing her name after marriage) all show how to do this.

Is there an example of how to fill out the form if I don’t have a driver’s license?

Yes. In many states, if you don’t have a driver’s license or state ID, you can provide the last four digits of your Social Security number instead. Samir’s example as a newly naturalized citizen shows exactly that. If you don’t have either, some states will assign you a voter ID number; your state instructions will explain what to do.

Where can I see official examples of voter registration forms?

You can review the National Mail Voter Registration Form from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, which many states accept, at https://www.eac.gov/voters/national-mail-voter-registration-form. Your state election office website will also show the exact form used where you live, often with instructions and sometimes sample examples of how to fill out a voter registration application correctly.

If you’ve read through these real examples and recognized your situation in one of them, you’re already halfway done. Now it’s just a matter of grabbing your state’s form—online or on paper—and filling it out the same way these people did: clearly, honestly, and completely. That’s how your registration gets processed smoothly and how you make sure your vote is ready to count.