Vote By Mail and Absentee Ballots
It is more important than ever to vote by mail or through absentee voting this year, where possible. And now is the time to make a personal plan to vote in the November election! As the team at Vote Save America puts it: “COVID-19. Voter suppression. Type A personality. Type B personality. All great reasons to figure out how you’re going to vote right this minute.”
In light of COVID-19, plus the myriad of voting issues that arose in Georgia’s June election, voting by mail allows one’s voice to be heard without exposing one’s self to risk of illness at a public poling place.
Before I get into why you should consider voting by mail because of the pandemic, I wanted to go through some frequently asked questions related to absentee voting.
Quick Links Regarding Voting by Mail & Voting Registration
- Check to see if your registration is active either with vote.org or Vote Save America’s voter verification tool. The New York Times has a similar voting prep tool here.
- Register to vote if you’ve not already done so.
- Learn about the nominees — either from Vote Save America, The New York Times, Politico, NPR, or some other reputable source.
- Take a look at the fact checking for the first presidential debate (September 29, 2020).
Check Your Voter Registration
To vote in the general election, you need to be registered to vote. As the U.S. does not yet allow for same-day registration, it’s important to check that your info is up to date ahead of time.
Are you uncertain whether you’re actually registered to vote or not? It can be an easy task to overlook when moving, but luckily it’s simple enough to check.
Click here to quickly check if you are currently registered to vote and, if so, where you are registered to vote.
Click here to request your mail-in ballot.
General Vote By Mail Questions
Is Vote by Mail the Same as Absentee Ballots/Voting?
Yes, vote by mail and absentee ballots or absentee voting refer to the same process, by which a voter returns their ballot via mail. The terms tend to be used interchangeably.
Is Voting by Mail Available in All States?
Technically, all states have some kind of absentee voting system. However, rules vary from state to state on who is eligible to vote by mail.
Some states require that you have a valid excuse or reason to submit a ballot by mail. Standard excuses include, but are not limited to: being unable to go to the assigned polling place due to illness, injury, or disability; being out of the country or city of residence on Election Day; or being a student at an out-of-state college/university. Of course, the list of acceptable excuses are subject to change, especially in light of COVID-19.
Click here for a chart from the National Conference of State Legislatures on acceptable excuses to vote absentee. According to this chart, the states that require an excuse for absentee voting by mail are: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia.
You can see whether you are eligible to vote by mail in your state on your state’s election office website. Click here to find your state’s election office website.
Which States Allow No-Excuse Absentee Voting?
No-excuse absentee voting means you can get an absentee ballot to vote by mail without providing an excuse or reason for needing one.
Thirty-four states and Washington, D.C., do not require an excuse for issuing absentee ballots. As of 5/1/2020 (according to NCSL), the states that have no-excuse absentee voting are:
| Alaska | Arizona | California |
| Colorado | Washington, D.C. | Florida |
| Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho |
| Illinois | Iowa | Kansas |
| Maine | Maryland | Michigan |
| Minnesota | Montana | Nebraska |
| Nevada | New Jersey | New Mexico |
| North Carolina | North Dakota | Ohio |
| Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania |
| Rhode Island | South Dakota | Utah |
| Vermont | Virginia | Washington |
| Wisconsin | Wyoming |
Do Any States Require Voting by Mail?
Currently, only five states conduct all elections by mail: Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah, and Washington State. This means that these states only have mail-in ballots (which I did not realize!).
Some states require counties to make the choice to opt into conducting elections solely by mail, including California, Nebraska, and North Dakota.
Still, other states allow only certain types of elections to be held entirely by mail. For example, in Florida, referendum elections at the county, city, school district, or special district level may be conducted entirely by mail.
What is the Vote By Mail Registration Deadline? How Do I Get a Mail In Ballot?
Typically, all you need to do is fill out a short form to request a mail in ballot. Registration deadlines of applications for vote by mail and absentee ballots vary from state to state. Further, the vote by mail deadline may be different based on how you register to vote by mail — whether you do so in person, online, or by mail.
Here are a few examples, but note that the timelines may differ due to Coronavirus concerns:
- Florida: If applying in person, you may request an absentee ballot 1 day before Election Day. If applying by mail, you may request an absentee ballot up to 7 days before Election Day.
- Georgia: Georgia requires absentee ballot requests to be made by mail. Requests must be made 4 days before Election Day.
- New York: If applying in person, you may request an absentee ballot 1 day before Election Day. If applying by mail, you may request an absentee ballot up to 7 days before Election Day.
- Pennsylvania: Voters may request an absentee ballot in person, by mail, or online up to 7 days before Election Day.
- Texas: If applying in person or by mail, you may request an absentee ballot up to 11 days before Election Day.
- Virginia: If applying in person for an absentee ballot, you may do so up to 3 days before Election Day. Otherwise, if you are making the request by mail or online, you may do so up to 7 days before Election Day.
Questions and Concerns About Voting By Mail
What are Some Vote By Mail Pros and Cons?
As someone who exclusively votes by mail, I have a hard time seeing anything but pros to the process. However, setting my personal preferences aside, voting by mail seems to be especially important in this election cycle, due to COVID-19.
Vote By Mail Advantages
Traditionally, one of the major pros of voting by mail or the voter themselves is the convenience. You can vote early with an absentee ballot, and you don’t have to wait in line at your polling place on Election Day in order to cast your vote. This convenience factor is thought to increase voter turnout, especially among voters considered less likely to vote in elections without the mail-in option.
Counting votes via mail-in ballots is also cheaper than running an entire polling place. Jurisdictions with all-mail in ballots or with a larger portion of mail-in ballots save money on staffing polling places, among other costs associated with running large enough polling operations.
Some of the Critiques of Mail-In Voting
Notably, counting absentee ballots can take more time than using polling machines, so election results may take longer to come in than with traditional voting. However, this should arguably be minimized if people submit their mail-in ballots ahead of the actual Election Day.
There is a cost associated with printing absentee ballots. Relatedly, separate equipment might be needed to read the ballots. However, it costs money to run traditional elections, too, so I personally don’t find this super compelling.
One issue with voting by mail has to do with disparate mail delivery operations. Some areas of the country have limited access to mail delivery, making it difficult to have an all-mail election. Similarly, literacy is another issue (although this would also be an issue with traditional voting).
Another critique of voting by mail is that family members may pressure others in their household to vote a certain way. This is certainly something to consider, so be sure you’re able to vote privately if you do go with the mail in option.
Is Voting By Mail Secure? Are Absentee Ballots a Major Source of Voter Fraud in the United States?
No, absentee ballots are NOT a major source of voter fraud isn the United States. Trump has been touting a false narrative about mail in voting fraud that is simply not true (and likely something he doesn’t actually believe, since he, himself, voted by mail in a number of recent elections). Election experts believe that an election largely handled via mail could be conducted safely — both in terms of democratic legitimacy as well as from a public health standpoint.
Voting fraud in general is not common. The New York Times quoted Charles Stewart III, a MIT elections expert: “What we know can be boiled down to this: Voting fraud in the United States is rare, less rare is fraud using mail ballots.”
Related to the president’s and republican’s claims of voting fraud via mail-in ballots, he has also claimed that voting by mail gives Democrats an advantage. There is simply little evidence that this is the case.
The New York Times analyzed the situation succinctly: “The main argument by Mr. Trump and other Republicans is threefold: Voting by mail is easier than going to the polls; more people will vote if the process is easier; and when larger numbers of people vote, more will vote for Democrats.”
Further Reading
Why Voting By Mail is a Secure and Efficient Option for Voting
- Does Vote-by-Mail Favor Democrats? No. It’s a False Argument by Trump. – The New York Times (4/10/2020, updated 6/10/2020)
- Trump Is Pushing a False Argument on Vote-by-Mail Fraud. Here Are the Facts. – The New York Times (6/2/2020)
- Voting by Mail: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
On Voting in Light of the Pandemic
- As Pandemic Imperils Elections, Democrats Clash With Trump on Voting Changes – The New York Times (4/8/2020)
- Voting by Mail Is the Hot New Idea. Is There Time to Make It Work? – The New York Times (3/19/2020, updated 4/10/2020)
