About .vote domain
.vote is a generic top-level domain (gTLD) that emerged from ICANN's 2012 new gTLD program. The registry agreement between ICANN and Monolith Registry LLC was signed on November 21, 2013, and the extension was delegated to the DNS root zone on March 2, 2014. Afilias serves as the back-end registry services provider supporting Monolith's operation of the TLD. General Availability for .vote opened on February 17, 2015, following a Sunrise Period held in January and early February of that year. The string was awarded to Monolith Registry LLC after a private auction with competing applicant Donuts — notably the first case of a private gTLD auction resulting in a withdrawal of an application.
Who can register .vote domain
Registration of .vote is restricted to registrants with a genuine, bona fide intention to use the domain in connection with a clearly identified political or democratic process during the current or relevant election cycle. Target registrants include governmental organizations, political candidates, political action committees (PACs), political committees, and similar participants in the democratic process. Warehousing domains for speculative future use and registering names primarily to block a third party's legitimate use are expressly prohibited. There must be a clear and logical nexus between the registrant's activities within the political or democratic system and the domain name chosen. The registry maintains an audit mechanism and can investigate and remove non-compliant registrations.
How to register .vote domain
Search for your desired .vote domain name using any accredited registrar that carries the extension. Before committing to a name, confirm that a clear and logical connection exists between the domain string and your political or democratic activity, as the registry requires this nexus at the time of registration.
Compare registrar offerings for .vote, paying attention to registration fees, renewal pricing, and any included management tools. Note that WHOIS privacy or proxy registration is not permitted for .vote domains, so accurate registrant contact data will be publicly visible — factor this into your registrar selection.
Complete the checkout process, providing full and accurate registrant information. Because proxy and private registration are prohibited, the contact details you submit will appear in the public WHOIS record at all times, so ensure all information is correct and up to date before finalizing your order.
After registration, verify your contact details in the registrar dashboard and configure your DNS settings to point to your hosting provider or website. Keep your WHOIS data current throughout the registration term, as the registry actively audits registrant compliance and non-compliant domains can be reported and removed.
Typical uses of .vote domain
The .vote extension is most commonly used by entities directly involved in electoral and democratic processes who want a clearly recognizable, purpose-built web address. State and local election authorities use it to publish official voter information, while political candidates at all levels — from local races to national campaigns — adopt it to establish credible campaign presences and reduce the risk of cybersquatting on their names. Political action committees, civic advocacy groups, and voter engagement organizations also register .vote domains to signal transparency and legitimacy to constituents. The extension's restricted nature means visitors can reasonably expect that a .vote site is operated by a genuine participant in the political process rather than a speculative or deceptive third party.
Tips for registering .vote domain
- No WHOIS privacy allowed. The registry explicitly prohibits proxy and private registration, meaning your full registrant contact information will be publicly accessible in the WHOIS database for the life of the registration. Ensure you are comfortable with this before registering.
- Audit rights are real. Monolith Registry maintains an active compliance and audit mechanism; non-compliant domain names can be reported, investigated, and deleted. Registrants should be prepared to demonstrate the required nexus between their domain and a genuine political or democratic activity.
- Speculative registration is prohibited. Domain warehousing and registrations intended primarily to block a third party are expressly forbidden under the registry's policies, which differ from the more permissive rules of many other gTLDs.
- Derogatory or disparaging domain names are banned. Names designed to demean a candidate, opponent, or other party — such as attack-style strings — are explicitly prohibited and may be removed if registered.
- First-come, first-served is the default allocation method, but the registry reserves the right to use alternative allocation mechanisms in certain circumstances, so high-value political strings may not always be available on a simple first-come basis.