In certain situations where citizens cannot, or do not want to, vote in person, it may be possible to cast mail-in votes through vote-by-mail and absentee voting.
Absentee voting is a voting system that allows you vote from a location other than the voting locations. Most states offer absentee voting. However, deadlines and requirements vary per state. While some states may require an excuse to vote absentee, some may not.
In comparison, some states have all-mail voting programs (also called vote-by-mail, mail-in or mostly-mail) where ballots are sent out automatically to all registered voters in the state before the election day.
As an absentee or mail-in voter, you may be eligible to vote prior to the election day.
US Election 2024: Which states allow mail-in/absentee voting?
States that support absentee voting
States like Alaska, Maine, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, allow no-excuse absentee voting, meaning any voter can request an absentee ballot and will not be required to give an excuse.
However, states like Alabama, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and West Virginia would require you to give specific reasons, to qualify for absentee voting.
States with permanent absentee voting lists
Some states allow voters join a permanent absentee/mail ballot voting list where they receive an absentee ballot every election. This voting list is known as a single sign-in list.
States that allow all voters to join a permanent absentee/mail list
Arizona, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and Virginia.
States that allow voters with permanent disabilities to join a permanent absentee/mail list
Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, Tennessee, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Louisiana, Maine, Texas and Wisconsin also make this option available to senior voters.
Some other states allow eligible voters to remain on an absentee ballot list for a period of one year
Oklahoma, South Dakota and Texas.
States that conduct vote-by-mail elections
In states that conduct mostly-mail elections, all registered voters are sent a ballot in the mail before the election day. The voter is expected to mark the ballot, seal it in a secrecy envelope, and then in a different mailing envelope. The voter is also expected to sign an affidavit on the mailing envelope and return it either by mail or in person.
States that permit elections to be conducted entirely by mail
California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Vermont and Washington and the District of Columbia.
States that allow counties to choose if to conduct all-mail elections
Nebraska and North Dakota.
States that permit specific small elections to be conducted by mail
Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico and Wyoming
States that allow all-mail elections for certain small jurisdictions
Idaho, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico
States that allows voters to choose whether to vote in person, or to vote-by-mail
Illinois, Kansas, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island.
However, you have to send in an application in advance, and submit the necessary documents requested by each state. Check your state’s official election website to be sure you meet the absentee/mail-in voting requirements. The application process and the required documents for an absentee ballot application may differ for each state.
