Feel Good Friday - U.S. Vote Foundation

Election Day is November 3, just 11 days away, so this week I'm featuring U.S. Vote Foundation.

Founded in 2005 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, the mission of U.S. Vote Foundation (US Vote) is "Every Citizen is a Voter." The goal is open access to voter information so every citizen can easily take part in democracy. It began as Overseas Vote, helping Americans abroad cast ballots, and now serves domestic, overseas and military voters alike.

Voting rules differ across all 50 states and more than 7,900 local election offices, resulting in many people who want to vote feeling unsure how, where or when to do it.

US Vote's free, nonpartisan website clears up that confusion. The Am I Registered? tool sends you straight to your official state lookup. The site also produces state-specific absentee ballot request forms and lists your local election office and key dates and deadlines. The Voter Journey Map turns your situation into a personalized how-to-vote checklist and the Voter Help Desk answers individual voting questions. Overseas Vote offers the same help to citizens abroad and military families.

US Vote has had a big impact. In 2024, 5.6 million voters were welcomed on its websites, nearly double the number in 2020! Through five presidential elections, US Vote and Overseas Vote have helped tens of millions of voters figure out the how, where and when of voting. Its civic data is also licensed to more than 50 organizations, including the League of Women Voters and the U.S. Postal Service.

With Election Day close, here's how US Vote can help. If you're voting by mail, check the Ballot Return Options chart for your state, then track your ballot with Where's My Ballot?. If you're heading to the polls, use the Polling Place Finder and review your state's voter ID rules.

Sharing these tools with a friend who has questions is one way you can support US Vote, and there are many others. You can make a donation, become a monthly Foundation Member, and amplify their message on social media. Follow US Vote on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or YouTube and share their voter tools with your network.

Happy voting!