As election day approaches, we might think of how voter registration records can help us in our family history research. These underutilized resources are not available for all locations, but if we are lucky, we might have access to some, depending on where our ancestors lived. Keep in mind that many voter registration records no longer exist, and the earliest are limited to white males of voting age. After 1870, Blacks could vote; after 1920, women could vote. All voters had to be U.S. citizens. Between 1907 and 1922, women derived their citizenship from their husbands, and they had to be married to naturalized or native citizens to be eligible to vote.
Residents of St. Louis City and County were required to register to vote in each presidential election. For St. Louis City, what survives are registers and index cards from 1896 through 1971 on microfilm in the Emerson History & Genealogy Center at the Clark Family Branch of the St. Louis County Library. (Complete details of what is available are on the library’s website.)
However, the St. Louis County records have not fared so well. Destined to be destroyed, only some original record books were rescued by an employee and donated to the Missouri History Museum Library and Research Center (MHMLRC). Their collection of these books begins with January 1924 and goes until 1936.
Voter registration in 1924 is of special interest because women were, by this time, registering to vote in greater numbers as a result of the Nineteenth Amendment having passed in 1920. Often women are underrepresented in public records, but these books now become a wonderful resource for finding them.
According to the MHMLRC staff, “Entries in these books usually contain a name; address; state or country of birth; race; term of residence in the precinct, county, and state; age; and signature. Some entries also include the name of the court where the individual was naturalized and the date of naturalization.” In addition, there are notes/comments that can yield additional valuable information such as a move or a death.
To find a St. Louis County resident, you first need to have a street address, which you may be able to locate in a census or city directory. Once you have that, you can go to the MHMLRC to use the books or you can contact the library’s staff, who can help you with a look up. Fill out the online contact form on the MHMLRC website for assistance. Remember, this collection does NOT include St. Louis City.
The example above is from Chicago, 1890.
If your ancestors were not in St. Louis, Ancestry.com has many voter registrations online.
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- Alabama Voter Registrations, 1867
- Arizona Voter Registrations, 1866–1955
- Arkansas Voter Registrations, 1900–2023
- California Voter Registrations, 1866–1898 and 1900–1968
- Chicago Voter Registrations, 1888, 1890, 1892
- Colorado Voter Registrations, 2010–2023
- Connecticut Voter Registrations, 1800–2023
- Florida Voter Registrations, 1942–2023
- Hawaii Voter Registrations, 1864–1910
- Idaho Voter Registrations, 1916–2020
- Indiana, Select County Voter Registrations, 1850–1931
- Kansas, Leavenworth County, Voter Registrations, 1859
- Kansas Voter Registrations, 1854–1856
- Mississippi Voter Registrations, 1801–2023
- Missouri, Jackson County, Voter Registrations, 1928–1956
- Montana, Beaverhead County, Voter Registrations, 1862–2009
- New York City Voter Registrations, 1915–1956
- North Carolina Voter Registrations, 1833–1970
- Ohio Voter Registrations, 1900–2023
- Oklahoma Voter Registrations, 1960–2023
- Texas Voter Registrations, 1867–1869
- Utah Voter Registrations, 1899–2024
- Washington, D.C. Voter Registrations, 1929–2023
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In addition, there are lists from the U.K., Belarus, Lithuania, and Canada for limited years.
You can also search the FamilySearch Wiki for your particular state to see what is available. On the main Wiki page, you can narrow down a location and then search by topic, such as “voter registration records” or “voter registration lists.”
