Legacy Tree
Contact Us
x
  • Home
  • Services
  • Highlights
  • About Us
  • Press
  • Blog
  • English
    • Spanish
    • Portuguese (Brazil)
    • Swedish
    • Danish
    • Norwegian Bokmål
    • Russian
Contact Us
Contact Us
x
  • Home
  • Services
  • Highlights
  • About Us
  • Press
  • Blog
  • English
    • Spanish
    • Portuguese (Brazil)
    • Swedish
    • Danish
    • Norwegian Bokmål
    • Russian
Contact Us
  • Services
  • Highlights
  • About
  • Press
  • Blog
  • .
  • English
    • Spanish
    • Portuguese (Brazil)
    • Swedish
    • Danish
    • Norwegian Bokmål
    • Russian

Voter Registration: Another Useful Tool for Your Genealogy Toolbox

November 26, 2019 by Lori - Legacy Tree Genealogists Project Manager Leave a Comment

An often overlooked resource in genealogy are voter registration records. We’ll show you where to find and use these helpful records in your family history.

Genealogists have many resources available to them to aid in their research. Census records, church records, city directories, land records, and probate records are just a few of the more commonly used resources. Many of them are available online, thanks to web sites such as MyHeritage, FamilySearch, and Ancestry, making research possible from the comfort of one’s home. However, so many records are available online that it can be difficult to decide what records to search when researching one’s ancestors. An often overlooked resource in genealogy is that of voter registration records.

Voter registration records, like city directories, list an ancestor’s place of residence and the exact years he or she resided there. Naturalization information and the estimated year of immigration can sometimes also be found on an ancestor’s voter registration, along with name, birth date and place, address, years at that address, and Social Security number. Information such as political party and occupation may also be listed, giving one a glimpse into an ancestor’s life. Voter registration records can be helpful in tracking an ancestor between censuses, proving citizenship, identifying other family members, and in leading to research in other records by providing previously unknown details.

I thought I knew a lot about my great-great-grandmother because of the extensive research I had done in all the usual genealogy records, so when I looked at her voter registration records in California, I didn’t really expect to see anything new. I learned she was a Democrat and a housewife while married to my great-great-grandfather. That wasn’t terribly surprising. It was during the Great Depression and the family had just moved to California. However, the year after my great-great-grandfather died, she was listed as a Republican and a dressmaker. I never knew she was a dressmaker, and I thought it interesting that she changed political affiliation after her husband died. She remained a Republican for the rest of her life. If I hadn’t looked at her voter registration records, I would never have known she worked as a dressmaker and gotten this glimpse into her life.

Index to Voter Registration

Index to Voter Registration for Precinct 2, Glendale Photo Courtesy of Ancestry.com

Like other genealogical records, voter registration records are only as good as their availability.  While some voter registration records, like the California Great Registers, are online, most are not. A good place to start is to look for information about voter registration records that are available is the FamilySearch Wiki. The wiki has links to a number of state-specific articles about voter registration. Cyndi’s List is another great source for voter registration availability. Searching the catalogs at online genealogical sites such as MyHeritage, FamilySearch, and Ancestry would also be a good way to determine the availability of voting registration records. And since voter registrations are kept at the county level, be sure to check with the county your ancestor lived in. City, county, and state archives along with local historical and genealogical societies may also have voter information. It’s important to remember that while today every citizen of the United States can register to vote, that wasn’t always the case. In the early days of our country, only white male landowners over the age of 21 could vote. The Fifteenth Amendment, in 1870, allowed all male citizens regardless of race or color the right to vote, and it wasn’t until 1920 and the passing of the Nineteenth Amendment that women could vote. These are important bits of history to know when searching for possible voter registrations. Read our article about the importance of Using Historical Context to Learn About an Ancestor.

Finally, don’t forget to look for the original record.  Many of the available records online are indexes or compiled records that list voters alphabetically. The original records list the voters in the order they registered. Since family members often registered to vote together, the original records would be the place to find family members with different surnames.

Voter Registration List

Alabama 1867 Voter Registration List. Image courtesy of Ancestry.com

Voter registration may not be the first tool out of a genealogist’s toolbox, but it is one that shouldn’t be overlooked. There is so much information available that can help supplement previous research and give direction to additional research. We can also learn a little bit more about our ancestors and who they were.

Our worldwide team is skilled at utilizing a plethora of genealogical tools to help our clients get the fullest possible insight into the lives of their ancestors. Contact us today for a free quote and to let us know what our experts can do for you.

Voter registration records are an often overlooked genealogy resource. We’ll show you where to find these records, and how to incorporate the information they contain into your genealogy research strategy.
#genealogy #familyhistory #ancestry #genealogyrecords #voterregistration #genealogytips

  • Bio
  • Latest Posts
Lori - Legacy Tree Genealogists Project Manager

Lori - Legacy Tree Genealogists Project Manager

Lori has spent most of her life working on genealogy and family history. She has more than 30 years of experience in genealogy and has helped clients with their early British and Scottish ancestry, colonial American ancestry, early Southern U.S. ancestry, and Croatian and German ancestry. She is excited to be working with Legacy Tree Genealogists.
Lori - Legacy Tree Genealogists Project Manager

Latest posts by Lori - Legacy Tree Genealogists Project Manager (see all)

  • Voter Registration: Another Useful Tool for Your Genealogy Toolbox - November 26, 2019
  • “Burned County” Research – Mission Impossible or Possible? - May 3, 2019
  • School Records: An “Out-of-the-Box” Family History Resource - September 21, 2018

Filed Under: Genealogy Records and Resources Tagged With: family history research, genealogy, record collections, tips, voter registration

Previous article: Using University Special Collections for Family History Research
Next article: A Genealogist’s Letter to Santa

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Popular Posts

Scottish Ancestors

5 Keys to Finding Scottish Ancestors with Genealogist Jamie Kay

March 6, 2023 By Jamie - Legacy Tree Genealogists Researcher 4 Comments

Legacy Tree Genealogists RootsTech 2023 Schedule

February 9, 2023 By Legacy Tree Genealogists 4 Comments

Scenic Ireland_Irish Family Hisroey

Irish Family History: Online Resources to Help Find Your Irish Ancestors

January 26, 2023 By Legacy Tree Genealogists 4 Comments

portuguese geneaology

3 Tips and Tricks to Kickstart your Portuguese Genealogy Project 

October 10, 2022 By Becca- Legacy Tree Genealogists Researcher 4 Comments

British Isles

Uncovering Hidden Jewels in British Isles Genealogy Research

April 26, 2022 By Legacy Tree Genealogists Leave a Comment

Map of Finland

Ask a Genealogist: Interesting Facts about Finnish Genealogy Research

March 29, 2022 By Legacy Tree Genealogists 12 Comments

Brick Walls in British Genealogy Research

British Genealogy Brick Wall Breakthrough: A Case Study

March 8, 2022 By Jamie - Legacy Tree Genealogists Researcher 4 Comments

CATEGORIES

SEARCH

SUBSCRIBE

  • Home
  • Services
  • Highlights
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Careers
Terms of Use Privacy Policy

© 2004 - 2023 Legacy Tree Genealogists. All rights reserved.

  • Services
  • Highlights
  • About
  • Press
  • Blog
  • .
  • English
    • Spanish
    • Portuguese (Brazil)
    • Swedish
    • Danish
    • Norwegian Bokmål
    • Russian