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Absentee/mail-in voting, 2020
General information
This article details each state's absentee/mail-in voting procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election.[1] For additional information about absentee/mail-in voting, see this article.
See the sections below for information on:
- Eligibility
- This section details whether a state allows all voters, or only voters meeting select eligibility criteria, to vote by absentee/mail-in ballot.
- Request deadlines
- This section outlines the deadlines by which voters must submit their requests to vote by absentee/mail-in ballot.
- Request requirements
- This section details whether voters must submit additional documentation with their absentee/mail-in ballot requests.
- Return deadlines
- This section outlines the deadlines by which voters must return their completed absentee/mail-in ballots.
- Signature and witness requirements
- This section details signature and witness/notary requirements for absentee/mail-in ballots.
Eligibility
How to use this interactive table: The table comprises five columns:
- State
- Are there eligibility limits? ("Yes" indicates that only voters meeting select eligibility criteria can vote by absentee/mail-in ballot)
- Were changes made due to COVID-19?
- COVID-19 changes (entries in this field describe changes made to absentee/mail-in voting procedures due to COVID-19)
- Source (a link to a state website describing absentee/mail-in voting eligibility requirements)
Each of the five columns can be sorted alphabetically or chronologically. To sort a column, click the column heading. To search for a state, enter the state name in the search bar above the upper right-hand corner of the table.
By default, the table displays 10 states at a time. To see additional states on subsequent pages, use the navigation prompts under the bottom right-hand corner of the table. To change the number of states displayed on a single page, use the drop-down menu above the upper left-hand corner of the table.
Request deadlines
How to use this interactive table: The table comprises five columns:
- State
- In-person request deadline (the last day voters can submit absentee/mail-in voting requests in person, if applicable)
- Online request deadline (the last day voters can submit absentee/mail-in voting requests online, if applicable)
- Mail request deadline (the last day voters can submit absentee/mail-in voting requests by mail)
- Mail postmark or receipt deadline (whether the mail request deadline is a postmark or receipt deadline)
Each of the five columns can be sorted alphabetically or chronologically. To sort a column, click the column heading. To search for a state, enter the state name in the search bar above the upper right-hand corner of the table.
By default, the table displays 10 states at a time. To see additional states on subsequent pages, use the navigation prompts under the bottom right-hand corner of the table. To change the number of states displayed on a single page, use the drop-down menu above the upper left-hand corner of the table.
Request requirements
How to use this interactive table: The table comprises five columns:
- State
- Is other documentation required? ("Yes" indicates that a voter must include additional documentation with his or her absentee/mail-in ballot request)
- Required documentation (a description of required additional documentation, if applicable)
- Source (a link to a state website describing absentee/mail-in ballot request procedures)
- Request URL (a link to a state website where voters can either request an absentee/mail-in ballot directly or access an application form)
Each of the five columns can be sorted alphabetically or chronologically. To sort a column, click the column heading. To search for a state, enter the state name in the search bar above the upper right-hand corner of the table.
By default, the table displays 10 states at a time. To see additional states on subsequent pages, use the navigation prompts under the bottom right-hand corner of the table. To change the number of states displayed on a single page, use the drop-down menu above the upper left-hand corner of the table.
Return deadlines
How to use this interactive table: The table comprises four columns:
- State
- In-person return deadline (the last day on which a voter can return a completed absentee/mail-in ballot in person, if applicable)
- Mail return deadline (the last day on which a voter can return a completed absentee/mail-in ballot by mail)
- Mail postmark or receipt deadline (whether the mail return deadline is a postmark or receipt deadline)
Each of the four columns can be sorted alphabetically or chronologically. To sort a column, click the column heading. To search for a state, enter the state name in the search bar above the upper right-hand corner of the table.
By default, the table displays 10 states at a time. To see additional states on subsequent pages, use the navigation prompts under the bottom right-hand corner of the table. To change the number of states displayed on a single page, use the drop-down menu above the upper left-hand corner of the table.
Signature and witness requirements
How to use this interactive table: The table comprises three columns:
- State
- Notary or witness requirements
- Signature requirements
Each of the three columns can be sorted alphabetically or chronologically. To sort a column, click the column heading. To search for a state, enter the state name in the search bar above the upper right-hand corner of the table.
By default, the table displays 10 states at a time. To see additional states on subsequent pages, use the navigation prompts under the bottom right-hand corner of the table. To change the number of states displayed on a single page, use the drop-down menu above the upper left-hand corner of the table.
More on voting on November 3
Voting requirements and deadlines
General information
- Voter ID requirements
- State election websites
- Early voting dates
- Voter registration requirements
- Voter registration deadlines
- Same-day registration
- States that require employers to grant employees time off to vote
- Election results certification dates
Absentee/mail-in voting
- Absentee/mail-in voting overview
- Eligibility
- Request deadlines
- Request requirements
- Return deadlines
- Signature and witness requirements
- When can states begin processing and counting ballots
elections information:
COVID-19 and elections
- Changes to election dates, procedures, and administration in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020
- Changes to absentee/mail-in voting procedures in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020
Ballotpedia's 2020 election coverage
Footnotes
- ↑ This article includes information for the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five permanently inhabited U.S. territories.
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