Register to Vote or Check Your Registration Status

Climate policy is shaped at every level of government, federal, state, and local, and elected officials at all of those levels make decisions that directly affect emissions, energy systems, and environmental protections. Voting is the most direct mechanism most people have to influence who makes those decisions.

It sounds obvious. But millions of eligible voters are unregistered or have outdated registrations because they moved, changed their name, or simply never checked. In close elections, which increasingly determine climate-relevant policy outcomes, that gap matters.

Checking your registration status takes about two minutes. In the US, vote.org lets you verify your registration, update your address, and register if you're not already, all in one place. If you're already registered and up to date, you're done. If not, the fix is usually straightforward and can be completed online in most states.

Beyond the presidential election, local and state races often have the most direct impact on the climate-relevant decisions closest to home. Building codes, public transit funding, utility regulation, and land use policy are frequently decided by local officials elected in low-turnout races where individual votes carry significant weight. A city council member who supports EV charging infrastructure or a state legislator who backs clean energy standards can create real, lasting change at the community level.

Registering and showing up is the baseline. Everything else builds from there.

Where to check or register:

• US residents: vote.org
• UK residents: gov.uk/register-to-vote
• Canadian residents: elections.ca
• Australian residents: aec.gov.au