All-mail voting

Election Information
2025 election and voting dates
Voter registration
Early voting
Absentee/mail-in voting
All-mail voting
Voter ID laws
State poll opening and closing times
Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker
Select a state from the menu below to learn more about its election administration.
AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyomingSubmit

Eight states – California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, and Washington – conduct what is commonly referred to as an all-mail election, or universal mail-in voting. In these states, voting is conducted primarily by mail, and all eligible voters receive a ballot by default. See the sections below for additional information.

• Background
• States with automatic mail-in ballot systems
• Changes to absentee/mail-in voting procedures in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic
• Arguments in support and opposition of all-mail voting
• All-mail voting legislation

Note: Starting in 2029, Utah will require voters to request an absentee/mail-in ballot. Click here for more information.

Background

Every state provides for some method whereby voters can cast ballots without visiting a physical polling place. The terms absentee voting, voting by mail, all-mail voting, or voting from home are sometimes used to describe these methods, which can be divided into two categories: automatic mail-in ballot systems and request-required mail-in ballot systems.

Automatic mail-in ballot systems

Automatic mail-in ballot systems mandate that all eligible voters receive a ballot by default. These are sometimes referred to as all-mail voting systems.

Access to mail-in voting is not restricted to voters meeting certain eligibility criteria and officials automatically transmit mail-in ballots to all eligible voters. Voters may return these ballots by mail or by using designated deposit sites. Limited in-person voting is generally available, although the number of polling sites and terms of accessibility vary from state to state. One state, Nevada, allows voters to opt out of all-mail voting.

Request-required mail-in ballot systems

See also: Absentee/mail-in voting

Request-required mail-in ballot systems require that eligible voters initiate the process for receiving and casting mail-in ballots. These have traditionally been described as absentee voting systems. There are two types of request-required mail-in ballot systems.

• No excuse required: Any voter may request a mail-in ballot. Generally, a voter must first submit an application in order to receive a ballot. The voter may then return the completed ballot by mail or by using a designated deposit site. In-person voting is dominant.
  • Automatic mail-in ballot applications: In one state, Massachusetts, officials automatically transmit mail-in ballot applications to all eligible voters. A voter must complete and submit the application to receive a ballot. The voter then returns the completed ballot by mail or by using designated deposit sites.
• Excuse required: A voter must meet eligibility criteria in order to qualify for a mail-in ballot, such as having an illness or disability or being absent from their polling place on Election Day. Generally, a voter must first submit an application in order to receive a ballot. The voter may then return the completed ballot by mail or by using a designated deposit site. In-person voting is dominant.

States with automatic mail-in ballot systems

The map and table below detail those states that have implemented automatic mail-in ballot systems.

Automatic mail-in ballot systems

State	Year adopted	Where can ballots be returned?	In-person voting?
California	2021	By mail or by returning it to a polling place, county elections office, or designated drop box.	Yes, at designated voter centers.
Colorado	2013	By mail or by returning it to a designated drop box or drop-off location.	Yes, at designated voter service and polling centers.
Hawaii	2019	By mail or by returning it to a designated drop box.	Yes, at designated voter service centers.
Nevada	2021	By mail or by returning it to a designated drop-box or drop site.	Yes, at designated polling locations. Voters can opt out of automatically receiving a ballot.
Oregon	1998	By mail or by returning it to a designated drop box or drop site.	Yes, at locations determined by the county clerk.
Utah	2019	By mail or by returning it at a designated drop box or vote center. Starting in 2029, Utah will require voters to request an absentee/mail-in ballot. Click here for more information.	Yes, at designated vote centers.
Vermont	2022	By mail or by returning it to a designated drop site.	Yes, voters can return their mail ballot and indicate they wish to vote in-person on Election Day or bring their mail ballot to a polling location.
Washington	2011	By mail or by returning it to a designated drop box.	Yes, at designated voting centers.
Washington, D.C.	2022	By mail or by returning it to a designated drop box.	Yes, at designated voting centers.

Changes to absentee/mail-in voting procedures in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

See also: Changes to absentee/mail-in voting procedures in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

In 2020, 37 states modified their absentee/mail-in voting procedures in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Five states that did not normally mail ballots to each registered voter temporarily changed their policies to do so: California, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, and Vermont. California, Nevada, and Vermont later made these changes permanent. For more information on changes to absentee/mail-in voting procedures during the pandemic, click here.

Support and opposition

Support

All-mail voting makes it more convenient for voters to cast a ballot and increases turnout

In a statement in favor of legislation to provide for all-mail voting nationally, U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D) argued that all-mail voting is more accessible than voting at the polls, saying, "Taking off work to vote in person – often waiting in long lines for hours – isn’t an option for so many voters." Barbara Smith Warner, executive director of the National Vote at Home Institute, said that all-mail voting increases voter turnout and participation, as voters "get to kind of look at your ballot, talk with your family, look up questions you might have online."

Davis County Clerk Brian McKenzie said he expects most voters in his jurisdiction to continue voting by mail after Utah ends all-mail voting in 2029, arguing, “What we hear from our voters is they absolutely love vote-by-mail. They love the benefits of vote-by-mail. They love the convenience of vote-by-mail."

Opposition

All-mail voting decreases confidence in election security and is overly expensive

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R) argued that eliminating Utah's vote-by-mail system would increase confidence in election security, as it would speed up the reporting of election results. "Lots of people wrongly believe that we have mass fraud in our elections, and it’s just not true, but we need to restore trust to them as well," Cox said. Ben Edtl, chief petitioner for a ballot measure seeking to repeal Oregon's all-mail voting system, said that "[i]f half of the citizens in a state don’t believe their elections are legit, then you’ve got a problem."

Arguing in favor of changing Nevada's all-mail voting system, Gov. Joe Lombardo (R), said, "Sending ballots to more than 1.9 million registered voters is inefficient and unnecessary," arguing that it costs the state too much money and should not have been permanently implemented after the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

All-mail voting legislation

The table below lists bills related to all-mail voting introduced during (or carried over to) each state's regular legislative session this year. The following information is included for each bill:

• State
• Bill number
• Official bill name or caption
• Most recent action date
• Legislative status
• Sponsor party
• Topics dealt with by the bill

Bills are organized by state and then by most recent action. The table displays up to 100 results. To view more bills, use the arrows in the upper-right corner. Clicking on a bill will open its page on Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker, which includes bill details and a summary.

Explore election legislation with Ballotpedia

• 
  Try Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker

  Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker provides daily updates on legislative activity related to election policy in all 50 states.
  
  Our election policy experts translate complex bill text into easy-to-understand summaries. And because it's from Ballotpedia, our legislation tracker is guaranteed to be neutral, unbiased, and nonpartisan.
  Search bills
• 
  Read Ballotpedia's State of Election Administration Legislation Reports

  Ballotpedia publishes regular analysis of election administration legislation, including three full reports per year, providing ongoing coverage of legislative activity affecting election policy in each state.
  
  These reports deliver insights into partisan priorities, dive deep into notable trends, and highlight activity in key states.
  Read the latest report
• 
  
  Subscribe to The Ballot Bulletin

  The Ballot Bulletin is a weekly email that delivers the latest updates on election policy.
  
  The newsletter tracks developments in election policy around the country, including legislative activity, big-picture trends, and recent news. Each email contains in-depth data from our Election Administration Legislation Tracker.
  Subscribe

See also

• Absentee/mail-in voting
• Ballotpedia's elections calendar
• Changes to vote-by-mail and absentee voting procedures in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

Footnotes

Ballotpedia

About

Overview • What people are saying • Support Ballotpedia • Contact • Contribute • Job opportunities

---

Executive: Leslie Graves, Founder and CEO • Gwen Beattie, Chief Operating Officer

Communications: Alison Graves, Director of Communications • Carley Allensworth • Abigail Campbell • Frank Festa • Sarah Groat • Nathaniel Harwood • Dillon Redmond
External Relations: Geoff Pallay, Director of External Relations • Ken Carbullido, Vice President of Election Product and Technology Strategy • Ashley Fleming • Thomas Mardik • Hannah Nelson
Operations: Meghann Olshefski, Director of Operations • Amanda Herbert • Mandy Morris • Caroline Presnell • Kelly Rindfleisch
Tech: Matt Latourelle, Director of Technology Operations • Ryan Burch • Kirsten Corrao • Beth Dellea • Travis Eden • Tate Kamish • Margaret Kearney • Eric Lotto • Joseph Sanchez • Mary Susmitha

Contributors: Scott Rasmussen

---

Editorial Content

Josh Altic, Director of Content • Daniel Anderson, Associate Director of Elections & Data • Cory Eucalitto, Associate Director of Features • Ryan Byrne, Managing Editor of Ballot Measures • Mandy McConnell, Managing Editor of News • Doug Kronaizl, Managing Editor of Local Expansion • Abbey Smith, Managing Editor of Elections • Janie Valentine, Managing Editor of Law • Joel Williams. Managing Editor of Events • Andrew Bahl • Jaclyn Beran • Marielle Bricker • Joseph Brusgard • Emma Burlingame • Kelly Coyle • Jon Dunn • Victoria Edwards • Thomas Ellis • Nicole Fisher • Joseph Greaney • Thomas Grobben • Brianna Hosea • Molly Kehoe • Tyler King • Glorie Martinez • Norm Leahy, Senior Editor • Nathan Maxwell • Jimmy McAllister • Brandon McCauley • Ellie Mikus • Ellen Morrissey • Mackenzie Murphy • Kaley Platek • Samantha Post • Adam Powell • Annelise Reinwald • Ethan Rice • Spencer Richardson • Victoria Rose • Briana Ryan • Myj Saintyl • Maddy Salucka • Emma Soukup • Alexis Thacker • Mina Vogel • Samuel Wonacott • Trenton Woodcox