It’s time to vote in D.C.! Stop us if you’ve heard this before: this is the most important election of our lifetime. Well, it’s true. The next election is always the most important election of our lifetime, and every vote matters. We don’t vote for voting’s sake; we vote because the choices our elected officials make impact our lives.
This year, we have a big election in D.C. We’re voting for a new mayor and a new delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives, plus District Council and attorney general. You can get all of the important information you need about voting at the voting hub on our website.
Here are three things we want every D.C. voter to know.
1. No one can interfere with your right to vote. It’s a crime to intimidate, threaten, or coerce voters in an attempt to interfere with our right to vote. That includes intimidation by private individuals and local, state, and federal officials, including law enforcement and members of the military. (IYKYK)
Voter intimidation can show up in a variety of forms. It can be aggressive questioning about a voter’s citizenship or criminal record or spreading false information about voting requirements. It can be a person posing as an election official. It can be harassment targeting non-English speakers or people of color.
If you experience or witness voter intimidation, you can report it to the nonpartisan Election Protection Hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683). The hotline is also available in several other languages:
- Español and English: 888-VE-Y-VOTA (888-839-8682)
- Arabic (عربى) and English: 844-YALLA-US (844-925-5287)
- Mandarin (普通話), Cantonese (廣東話), Korean (한국어), Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt), Tagalog, Urdu, Hindi, Bengali, and English: 888-API-VOTE (888-274-8683)
2. Election Day is November 3. But you can vote before then. Election Day isn’t so much the day that we vote as it is the last day to vote. Every registered voter in D.C. has received a ballot in the mail, which you can return through the postal service or in a dropbox; ballot dropboxes are located throughout the District. If you return that ballot by mail, it has to be postmarked by November 3. If you return it by dropbox, it has to be dropped in the box by 8 p.m. on November 3.
Early voting runs in D.C. from October 26 through November 1, and you can visit any early voting center to cast your ballot. Early voting centers are open from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
However you vote, the most important thing for you to do is make a plan. Maybe you like the buzz and excitement of going to the polls on Election Day. Or maybe there’s some reason why you’re not sure if you can vote on Election Day, like work or family responsibilities, so voting early or by dropbox makes more sense for you. However you vote, make sure you plan how you’ll cast your ballot.
3. D.C. has same-day voter registration and voting. If you have claimed residency in the District of Columbia since at least October 4, 2026, you can vote, even if you’re not registered yet. You can register at any early voting center or at the polls on Election Day. You’ll need to bring proof of D.C. residency with you. Here’s the list of acceptable documents for citizens, and here’s the list for non-citizens. (Non-citizens can vote in local elections in the District of Columbia.)
Voting is one critical piece of a functional democracy. Don’t waste it. Get out there and vote.