Which States Allow Mail-In Voting? Vote by Mail Rules by State

In this article, we’ll explain the different approaches to mail-in voting used in different states. We’ll also go over how to fill out your mail-in ballot and how to ensure it is counted.

Every eligible voter has the right to cast a ballot. If you run into problems with the mail-in voting process or believe your voting rights were violated, contact a civil rights attorney. They can provide legal advice on the next steps.

Do All States Allow Mail-In Voting?

Yes. All 50 states allow mail-in voting or absentee voting. However, each state may have different processes for voting by mail or absentee voting. Understanding which category your state falls into helps you determine what steps, if any, you need to take.

States fall into three broad categories:

• All-mail states: In all-mail states, ballots are automatically sent to every active registered voter before Election Day. No application is required.
• No-excuse absentee states: In no-excuse absentee states, you must request a ballot. However, you do not need to explain why you need one.
• Excuse-required states: In excuse-required states, you must provide a qualifying reason on your application. Some require supporting documentation.

You can find your state’s laws in the chart in this article.

Absentee Voting vs. Voting by Mail

People sometimes use the terms “vote by mail” and “absentee voting” interchangeably. However, it is important to know that those terms describe different systems.

• Voting by mail is a broad term for any system that lets eligible voters cast their ballots outside a traditional polling place. The state’s election officials send ballots to active voters or voters who request them. Once voters complete the ballot, they return it by mail, drop box, or in person at an election office. This will serve as their vote instead of casting a ballot on a voting machine on Election Day.
• Absentee voting is one form of voting by mail. Traditionally, absentee voting refers to ballots cast by voters who could not appear at their assigned polling place due to absence, illness, or another qualifying reason. Nowadays, many states have expanded absentee voting to allow any registered voter to request a ballot without providing a qualifying reason.

In all-mail states, election officials automatically send ballots to every active registered voter. Traditional Election Day polling places are either limited or eliminated, though the extent varies by state. 

In absentee voting states, the ballot does not come to you unless you request it. Many absentee states also offer early in-person voting as a separate option for those who cannot reach the polls on Election Day.

Each state has its own rules for returning ballots. Some need your ballot postmarked by Election Day, while others must receive it at the election office by Election Day or earlier. Many states also let you use an official drop box instead of mailing your ballot.

Which States Vote Entirely by Mail?

Eight states and the District of Columbia automatically mail ballots to all active registered voters. These states are as follows:

• California
• Colorado
• Hawaii
• Nevada
• Oregon
• Utah
• Vermont
• Washington

Every active registered voter in these states receives a ballot in the mail before Election Day, without having to request one. Voters complete the ballot and return it by mail, at an authorized drop box, or in person at a local election office or vote center.

Not all states mentioned operate the same way. Oregon and Washington conduct their elections almost exclusively through the mail, with no traditional Election Day polling places. Vermont automatically sends ballots for general elections in even-numbered years. Nevada began its automatic mail ballot system in 2022 following the passage of Assembly Bill 321. The District of Columbia automatically mails ballots to all registered voters for each election.

Which States Allow No-Excuse Mail-In Voting?

Twenty-eight states allow any registered voter to request a mail-in or absentee ballot without providing a reason. You do not need to explain why you prefer to vote from home. You simply submit a request.

Those states are:

• Alaska
• Arizona
• Florida
• Georgia
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Montana
• Nebraska
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Dakota
• Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

Note that this list excludes the eight all-mail states mentioned previously and the District of Columbia.

In states that allow no-excuse mail voting, the voting process often works the same way. You submit a ballot request online, by mail, or in person at your local election office. The office mails the ballot to your address on file. After completing the ballot, you sign the return envelope and mail it before the applicable deadline. Most states recommend requesting your ballot at least two weeks before Election Day.

Many no-excuse states also allow you to sign up for a permanent absentee list. Once enrolled, you automatically receive a ballot for every subsequent election without having to file a new request each cycle.

Which States Require an Excuse for Mail-In Voting?

Fourteen states require voters to provide a valid qualifying reason before they can receive a mail-in or absentee ballot. Those states are:

• Alabama
• Arkansas
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Indiana
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• New Hampshire
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Texas
• West Virginia

This does not mean voters in these states cannot vote by mail. Those who wish to do so must meet one of the state’s qualifying criteria before the state will issue them a ballot.

Valid excuses vary by state, but some common inclusions are:

• Being absent from your home county or jurisdiction during all voting hours on Election Day
• Illness, physical disability, or a medical condition that prevents you from reaching your polling place
• Active military service or being a U.S. citizen residing outside the country
• Religious beliefs that prohibit secular activity on Election Day
• Working during all polling hours, including caring for an ill or disabled family member
• Being incarcerated for a non-felony offense
• Being a student living outside your home county
• Serving as an election official at a polling location other than your own precinct
• Being 65 years of age or older

State laws differ on what qualifies. For instance, Indiana requires voters to have a specific and reasonable expectation that they cannot appear in person during the entire 12 hours that the polls are open. If you live in an excuse-required state, check your state’s Secretary of State website for the complete and current list of qualifying reasons.

State-by-State Guide: Mail-In Voting Rules

The list below shows which states will mail ballots to all registered voters during elections, which allow absentee voting for everyone, and which states require a reason to vote absentee. It includes links to register to vote by absentee ballot or mail-in ballot in your state.

No-excuse absentee voting is often called “mail-in voting” by states. The difference is that in absentee-voting states, you must request a ballot and mail it back to have your vote counted. Many states with absentee voting also allow in-person voting before Election Day for people who cannot vote on Election Day.

For the most current information, visit your state’s Secretary of State website or the National Association of Secretaries of State.

How To Request and Submit a Mail-In Ballot

Most states have a similar process for requesting and returning a mail-in ballot, but deadlines and requirements can be different.

Requesting Your Ballot

Depending on your state, you can submit a ballot request online through your state’s voter portal, by mailing or hand-delivering a completed application to your local election office, or in person at your county elections office. As a general rule, submit your request at least two weeks before Election Day to allow sufficient processing time and ensure the ballot reaches you with enough time to complete and return it. Check whether your state offers a permanent absentee list. Enrolling means you automatically receive a ballot for every future election, without having to file a new request each time.

When Your Ballot Arrives

Once your request is approved, your election office will mail the ballot to the address on your voter registration. Along with the ballot itself. You will typically receive a secrecy envelope (also called an inner envelope), a pre-addressed return envelope, and return instructions. 

Read all materials carefully before marking anything. Some states require a witness signature or a notary seal on the outer return envelope. Missing a requirement is one of the most common reasons election officials reject mail-in ballots.

Completing Your Ballot

To fill out your ballot, use ink and mark your choices clearly. Fill in all the ovals or boxes completely. Do not use checkmarks or circles, since machines may not read them. Avoid stray marks. If you make a mistake, contact your local elections office to request a replacement rather than trying to fix it yourself. When you are done, seal the ballot in the secrecy envelope, put that in the return envelope, and sign where needed.

Regardless of which system your state uses, you must be a registered voter before you can receive a mail-in ballot. If you have recently moved, changed your name, or are registering for the first time, complete your registration well before your state’s registration deadline, which in most states falls several weeks before Election Day.

How To Return Your Mail-In Ballot

Once your ballot is complete, you generally have three options for returning it.

Returning by Mail

Place your sealed ballot in the pre-addressed return envelope and drop it in any U.S. Postal Service collection box or post office. Pay close attention to your state’s deadline. Some states require only a postmark on or before Election Day. Others require physical receipt by the election office by a set time on Election Day or earlier.

USPS has clarified that postmark dates reflect the date the mail is processed at a postal facility. This date may not match the date you dropped it off in a collection box or when it was picked up by a letter carrier. If your state counts ballots based on postmark date, USPS recommends bringing your ballot to a post office retail counter rather than dropping it in a collection box. You can then request a manual postmark free of charge. Delivery times are not guaranteed. Election officials generally recommend mailing your completed ballot at least one week before the applicable deadline.

Using a Ballot Drop Box

Many states provide secure, officially designated drop boxes where you can deposit a completed ballot without relying on mail delivery. These boxes are typically monitored by security cameras, checked regularly by election staff, and subject to documented chain-of-custody procedures. All-mail states tend to have drop boxes in every county. Your ballot must be deposited before polls close on Election Day.

Returning in Person

Most states permit voters to return a completed mail ballot directly to their county elections office or, in some states, to any polling place on Election Day. If you decide to vote in person after already receiving a mail ballot, contact your local elections office before Election Day. Policies on surrendering a mail ballot and voting on a machine differ significantly from state to state.

Make Sure Your Mail-In Vote Counts

A few careful steps before and after you submit your ballot can help make sure your vote is counted.

• Request your ballot early
• Read all instructions carefully before marking anything on the ballot
• Note whether your state requires a witness signature or notary seal on the return envelope
• Fill in all ovals completely using pen, not pencil, and avoid stray marks
• Update your voter registration signature if it has changed since you last registered, so the signatures match during verification
• Sign the return envelope wherever required
• Return your ballot as early as possible, by mail using the prepaid return envelope or at an official drop box if your state offers one
• Confirm your state’s return deadline and whether a receipt or postmark is required
• Track your ballot using your state’s online tracking tool if one is available

Many states will notify you if your ballot is rejected and give you a short window to correct the problem. This process is called ballot curing. Not all states offer this option. If your state has a cure process, respond to any notification immediately. The window to correct a rejected ballot is often short. Check the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Table 15 or your state’s Secretary of State website to find out whether your state allows curing and what the deadline is.

Early Voting Options

Both voting by mail and early in-person voting let you cast your ballot before Election Day. They work differently and aren’t the same thing.

Early in-person voting means going to a designated polling location during a specific window of days before Election Day to cast your ballot on a voting machine, the same way you would on Election Day itself. You receive immediate confirmation that your vote was recorded. Poll workers are available if you need assistance. You do not need to worry about postage or whether your ballot was delivered on time.

Voting by mail allows you to complete your ballot at home at your convenience, without traveling to a polling location. Some voters value the opportunity to review choices carefully, while others prefer the certainty and immediacy of in-person voting.

The availability of early in-person voting varies by state. Some states open early voting locations more than two weeks before Election Day. Others offer only a few days. You can find state-by-state voting guides on FindLaw’s Voting hub. 

Mail-In Ballot Security and Verification

Every state that allows mail-in or absentee voting has security measures in place to verify ballots before officials count them. Specific methods vary by jurisdiction, but several types are common:

• Signature verification is one of the most common tools. Most states compare the signature on the return envelope to the signature on file in the voter’s registration record. A missing or mismatched signature can cause the ballot to be flagged for review or rejected. This is among the most frequent reasons mail ballots go uncounted.
• Ballot tracking is now available in many states through the Secretary of State‘s website. Once you return your ballot, you can monitor its status from receipt through processing and final acceptance. If your state offers this feature, use it because it is the most direct way to confirm that officials received your vote.
• Bar codes and unique identifiers are assigned to ballot envelopes in many states. These link each returned ballot to the specific voter who requested it, preventing duplicate voting.
• Chain-of-custody protocols require election officials to follow documented handling procedures from the moment ballots arrive at the elections office through the final count. In many jurisdictions, ballot-processing teams include members of multiple political parties.

Common reasons ballots get rejected include a missing voter signature, a signature that does not match the one on file, returning the ballot after the state’s deadline, failing to use the required secrecy envelope, and missing or incorrect voter information on the return envelope.

If your ballot is rejected, many states give you the opportunity to cure the problem before or shortly after Election Day. The cure window and process vary by state. Watch for notifications from your local elections office by mail, email, or phone, and respond as quickly as possible.

Frequently Asked Questions About Mail-In Voting

What if I requested a mail-in ballot but want to vote in person instead?

Policies differ by state. In most states, you can surrender your unreturned mail ballot at a polling place and cast a regular ballot. If you do not bring the mail ballot with you, poll workers may require you to cast a provisional ballot. Contact your local elections office before Election Day if this situation applies to you.

What if I make a mistake on my ballot?

Do not attempt to cross out or correct anything on the ballot itself. Contact your local elections office and request a replacement ballot, also called a spoiled ballot. If the deadline is close, ask whether you can surrender the mail ballot and vote in person instead.

Can someone else return my ballot for me?

This depends on your state. Some states permit a designated family member or caregiver to return a ballot on your behalf, while others restrict this strictly. Returning someone else’s ballot without proper authorization, also known as ballot harvesting, is a crime in many states. Review your state’s specific rules before allowing anyone else to handle your completed ballot.

What is the deadline to request a mail-in ballot?

Deadlines range from a few days to several weeks before Election Day, depending on the state. Check your state’s Secretary of State website well before any election and plan to request your ballot at least two weeks in advance to allow for processing time.

Do I need to pay postage to return my ballot?

It depends. Some states include prepaid postage on the return envelope. Others require you to add your own. Check the return envelope that comes with your ballot. If you prefer not to pay for postage, most states allow you to return your ballot for free at an official drop box or directly at the county elections office.

Get Legal Help With Voting Questions

Voting laws vary by state and may change from one election cycle to the next. Legislative changes, court decisions, and administrative updates can affect your eligibility, ballot deadlines, and reasons for ballot rejection.

If you believe your ballot was improperly rejected, have questions about your state’s mail-in voting requirements, or need help understanding your voting rights, consider consulting an experienced civil rights attorney. They can explain your rights, determine if a violation occurred, and help you protect your vote.