Voter Registration Assistance

TurboVote users can easily get support in registering to vote. The tool will provide responsive guidance about registration based on details users provide as they make their way through the Register to Vote flow. If they need further support, we have a Help Desk staffed with voting experts ready to provide answers.

Entry Points

Users can access the Register to Vote (with Help from TurboVote) tool via three entry points:

  • By visiting your TurboVote home page and clicking the Register to Vote (with Help from TurboVote) button

  • Through your customizable, dedicated Register to Vote landing page: [yourURL].turbovote.org/register-to-vote

  • Through your customizable name step, the first page in the Register to Vote flow: [yourURL].turbovote.org/name

Home Page Entry Point

Landing Page Entry Point

Form Entry Point

Implementation Tip: Integrate voter registration into an existing process at your institution, for instance during employee onboarding, student orientation, or required annual training.

Voter Information Questions

Once a user clicks “Register to Vote (with Help from TurboVote)”, users are asked to enter their:

  • First and last name

  • Preferred first name (optional — used to address the user in TurboVote communications and reminders)

  • Email and/or SMS number (at least one is required)

Users are then asked, “Are you registered to vote?” and select from the following options:

  • Yes: Users are asked to share their address and confirm they don’t need to re-register to vote (if they’ve moved). TurboVote will help them re-register if needed, or collect their voting preference (at the polls or by mail) and take them to the end of the signup process to highlight next steps.

  • No/I’m Not Sure: TurboVote helps the user navigate the registration process for their state.

  • I Can’t Vote: TurboVote outlines details about preregistration, voting rights restoration, and other helpful information for those who are ineligible to vote and ends the signup process.

 
 

Voter Registration Assistance

If the user taps “No/I’m Not Sure” regarding their voter registration status, they will then be asked to provide their address. TurboVote will provide state-specific guidance on the registration options available to them.

TurboVote provides users with two voter registration options: the state’s official online voter registration (OVR) system, if available, or a paper registration form.

  • If a user chooses to register online in a state that has OVR, TurboVote provides guidance by outlining the eligibility requirements (i.e., some states require voters to have a state-issued ID) and sharing a link to their state’s OVR system.

  • If a user is ineligible or chooses not to register via the state OVR system, or they’re registering in a state that does not offer OVR, TurboVote helps them pre-fill the majority of their registration form, provides them with a PDF version of the form they can download and print, and shares with them the address to which they need to mail the form in order to complete the voter registration process.

University of Cincinnati TurboVote site showing the "How do you prefer to register?" page with two options: "I'll register online" and "I prefer paper" (because Ohio offers online registration).
The Opportunity Youth United TurboVote site does not have a "How do you prefer to register?" page because paper registration is the only option in MS; users are automatically directed to the paper flow (which starts by asking about citizenship).
Please note: If your partnership includes TurboVote Mailings, users requesting assistance with paper registration will be asked if they prefer to print their own forms or have TurboVote mail them their form along with a stamped, addressed envelope.

Next Steps 

TurboVote’s “Almost Done” step, the final page in the Register to Vote experience, highlights next steps users need to take to complete and confirm their voter registration, as well as what to expect from TurboVote next.

Online Registration
Users who indicate an online registration preference will be prompted to confirm they completed the online registration process and see further information about online registration in their state.

By Mail Registration
Those who indicate a by-mail registration preference will see a link to their National Voter Registration form to download, print, and mail, along with contact details for their local election official.

No Registration Help
Users who tap “Yes” in response to the question “Are you registered to vote?” will be prompted to confirm their registration, or to register if they check and find they aren’t actually registered.

This page also highlights the TurboVote Help Desk. Users can reply to any text or email they receive from us and be connected with our help desk, staffed by voting experts who are able to answer their questions in English or Spanish. The help desk can also be reached by emailing help@turbovote.org, or by clicking the “Help” link, found in the top navigation menu of TurboVote.

 
 
Important: Signing up for TurboVote does not register a user to vote. After submitting their registration form through the mail or online on their state’s online voter registration site, the user’s local election authority will process their voter registration application.

Creating a Register to Vote Referral Link

To track user engagement with the Register to Vote experience, consider creating referral links. At this time, Register to Vote referral links need to be created manually (not with the Referral Code Generator in the Admin Console).

There are three components to a TurboVote referral link: [Your Custom Register to Vote URL] + ?r= + Unique Identifier 

  • Step 1: Make sure you are using your custom TurboVote URL: [yourURL].turbovote.org/register-to-vote

  • Step 2: Add ?r= immediately following the URL.

  • Step 3: Add a unique identifier immediately following ?r=. The identifier should be short but descriptive to help you keep track of the tactic the link is associated with. Use only letters, numbers, and dashes in identifiers. Do not use spaces. We also recommend you keep a running list of the unique identifiers you have used for future reference.

Examples:

For English-speaking users:

  • Main landing page: [yourURL].turbovote.org?r=test

  • Register to Vote landing page: [yourURL].turbovote.org/register-to-vote?r=test

  • Name step: [yourURL].turbovote.org/name?r=test

For Spanish-speaking users:   

  • Main landing page: [yourURL].turbovote.org?r=test&lang=es

  • Register to Vote landing page: [yourURL].turbovote.org/register-to-vote?r=test&lang=es

  • Name step: [yourURL].turbovote.org/name?r=test&lang=es

Step 4: Simply use the full URL with the referral code in the Tweet, email, website banner, or other promotion tactic you want to associate it with!

Once created, signup numbers associated with each Referral Link are available in the Dashboard.

Referral link information is also captured for the User Export, so you can see at the individual level how users are arriving at this page.

Sample Calls-to-Action

  • Confused by the voter registration process and need support? Get started with help from TurboVote today: [yourURL].turbovote.org/register-to-vote?r=test

  • Every year is an election year! Make a voting plan and get help registering to vote with TurboVote: [yourURL].turbovote.org/register-to-vote?r=test

We’ve created lots of other content that you’re welcome to use when registering voters. Explore other useful communications templates and tips for online and in-person campaigns in the toolkit.

Navigate to the Customizations page of the toolkit to see details about customization options for Register to Vote (with Help from TurboVote).

Page last updated on: January 31, 2023