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Absentee/mail-in voting is voting that does not happen in person on Election Day but instead occurs another way (generally by mail). All states allow for some form of absentee/mail-in balloting. Some states require voters to provide a valid excuse to vote absentee/by mail, while others allow any eligible voter to cast an absentee/mail-in ballot.[1][2]
absentee/mail-in voting procedures
background
All states provide some method by which voters can cast their ballot without visiting a physical polling place. the terms absentee voting, voting by mail, voting in all malls or voting from home sometimes are used to describe these methods, which can be divided into two categories: automated mail-in ballot systems and application-required mail-in ballot systems.
automatic postal voting systems
Automated ballot-by-mail systems require that all eligible voters receive a ballot or ballot application by default. these are sometimes called vote-by-mail systems. access to voting by mail is not restricted to voters who meet certain eligibility criteria.
- Automatic Mail Ballots: Officials automatically transmit mail ballots to all eligible voters. Voters can return these ballots by mail or by using designated drop-off sites. limited in-person voting is generally available, although the number of voting sites and terms of accessibility vary from state to state.
- automated requests for vote-by-mail ballots: officials automatically transmit mail-in ballot applications to all eligible voters. a voter must, in turn, submit a completed application to receive a ballot. the voter then returns the completed ballot by mail or using the designated drop-off sites. In-person voting is widely available, but it is not necessarily the dominant medium in which voters cast their ballots.
mail-in voting systems required by request
Application-required mail-in ballot systems require eligible voters to initiate the process to receive and cast mail-in ballots. these have traditionally been described as absentee voting systems. access to voting by mail may be restricted to voters who meet certain eligibility criteria.
- no excuse required: any voter may request a ballot by mail. Generally, a voter must first apply to receive a ballot. the voter can then return the completed ballot by mail or by using a designated drop-off site. voting in person is dominant.
- excuse required: A voter must meet the eligibility criteria to qualify for a mail-in ballot. Generally, a voter must first apply to receive a ballot. the voter can then return the completed ballot by mail or by using a designated drop-off site. in-person voting is dominant.
absentee/mail-in voting procedures by state
The following table summarizes the existing legal absentee/mail voting procedures in the states.
support and opposition
The following quotes briefly summarize the arguments for and against no-excuse absentee/mail-in voting. See our page, Arguments for and Against No-Excuse Absentee/Mail Voting, for detailed arguments of support and opposition from a variety of sources.
see also
- absentee ballot fraud
- vote fraud
- voting
- voter registration