The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) requires states to designate state government agencies and offices that provide public assistance or services to people with disabilities as NVRA Voter Registration Agencies (VRAs), as well as other offices each state deems appropriate. These could include schools, city and county clerk's offices, fishing and hunting license bureaus, government revenue offices, and unemployment compensation offices. States can also designate federal offices as VRAs, but only with the agreement of those agencies. Finally, each state must work with the U.S. Department of Defense to develop and implement procedures for voter registration at Armed Forces recruitment offices.

When an agency is designated as a VRA, it must offer each person who applies for the agency's services or assistance, seeks to renew their benefits, or submits a change of address the opportunity to register to vote. If a person declines to register, the agency must ask the person to fill out a declination form, which is kept on file at the agency office for a specified period of time.