Voting policies in the United States

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Election and voting policies are enacted and enforced primarily at the state level. These rules dictate the manner in which elections are administered, as well as the conditions under which American citizens cast ballots in each individual state.

This page provides an overview of notable election policies and directs to Ballotpedia's coverage of these issues in all 50 states. Also on this page are links to arguments supporting and opposing various election policies.

• Election administration and voting policies by state

  Each state's election and voting policies.
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• Policies

  An overview of key election policies.
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• Arguments for and against election policies

  Arguments on key election policies.
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• State legislation

  Current election legislation in the states.
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Election administration and voting policies by state

Election administration policies are the rules and laws under which elections officials conduct elections in a given state. These include early and absentee voting provisions, voter identification requirements, voter registration and list maintenance methods, and more. Voting policies, while similar and sometimes overlapping with election administration policies, are the rules and laws under which a voter casts their ballot in a given state, and include election dates and deadlines, registration requirements, and more.

Each state's election administration and voting policies dictate who can vote and under what conditions.

Use the table below to read more about election administration and voting policies in each state.

Policies

Absentee voting

Automatic voter registration

Ballot collection laws

Early voting

Electoral systems

Online voter registration

Post-election auditing

Primary types

Private funding of election administration

Ranked-choice voting (RCV)

Recount laws

Same-day voter registration

Voter ID

Voter registration list maintenance

Voting rights for people convicted of a felony

See also: Absentee voting

Absentee/mail-in voting is voting that does not happen in person on Election Day but instead occurs another way (generally by mail). All states allow for some form of absentee/mail-in voting. Fourteen states require voters to provide a valid excuse to vote absentee/by mail. Twenty-eight states allow any eligible voter to cast an absentee/mail-in ballot. Eight states have automatic mail-in ballot systems, also known as all-mail voting systems.

HIGHLIGHTS

Absentee/mail-in voting procedures can be divided into two categories: automatic mail-in ballot systems and request-required mail-in ballot systems.

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

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.

See also: Automatic voter registration

Under an automatic voter registration system, eligible voters are automatically registered to vote whenever they interact with certain government agencies, such as departments of motor vehicles. Eligible voters are registered by default, although they may request not to be registered.

HIGHLIGHTS

As of November 2025, 24 states and the District of Columbia had enacted automatic voter registration policies.

In 2015, California and Oregon became the first states to enact automatic voter registration policies.

In 2016, Alaska became the first state to enact an automatic voter registration policy via ballot measure.

The most recent states to enact automatic voter registration policies were Delaware, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania in 2023.

See also: Ballot collection laws by state

Most states have laws that govern who may return a voter's absentee/mail-in ballot. These laws vary by state. Politicians and other groups have debated whether states should place restrictions on who may collect and return absentee/mail-in ballots. Terms used to refer to this topic include ballot harvesting, community ballot collection, ballot gathering, third-party possession of another's ballot, and ballot return.

Proponents of certain related restrictions may also use the term ballot harvesting to refer to other practices, such as filling out or submitting absentee/mail-in ballot applications for others.

HIGHLIGHTS

18 states allowed anyone chosen by the voter to return a ballot on the voter's behalf (certain categories of returners excluded in some states).

16 states allowed anyone with certain relationships to the voter to return the voter's ballot.

4 states allowed only the voter to return the voter's ballot, with certain exceptions.

2 states required voters to return their ballots by mail.

10 states and D.C. did not specify who may return ballots.

See also: Early voting

Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. Some states allow voters to cast absentee ballots in person. States that allow in-person absentee voting without an excuse are counted below among no-excuse early voting states.

HIGHLIGHTS

As of February 2024, 47 states and the District of Columbia permitted no-excuse early voting. For a full list of these states, see here.

Proponents argue that early voting opportunities make the voting process more convenient for citizens, thereby increasing turnout and diversifying the electorate.

Critics argue that citizens who vote early may be more likely to make ill-informed decisions.

See also: Electoral systems

The term electoral system can refer to the method by which elections are conducted (e.g., whether officials are elected in single-winner versus multi-winner systems) or the method by which votes are tallied to determine the outcome of an election (e.g., plurality systems, majority systems, ranked-choice voting systems, etc.). In the United States, most federal and state-level officials are elected via plurality vote in single-winner elections, although some jurisdictions (e.g., cities, school boards, etc.) employ alternative electoral systems.

HIGHLIGHTS

A total of 40 states conduct only single-winner contests for state legislative elections. The remaining 10 states utilize multi-winner contests in elections for at least one of their state legislative chambers.

All gubernatorial elections are, by nature of the office, single-winner elections. Of the 50 states, 45 determine the winners of gubernatorial elections via plurality vote. Three of the remaining five (Louisiana, Georgia, and Mississippi) determine winners via majority vote. Maine and Alaska used ranked-choice voting.

In every state, United States Senators and United States Representatives are elected in single-winner elections. Of the 50 states, 46 determine winners in congressional elections via plurality vote. Two of the remaining four (Louisiana and Georgia) determine winners via majority vote. Maine and Alaska used ranked-choice voting.

See also: Online voter registration

Traditionally, paper-based systems have been used by the states to register voters. Under these systems, a prospective voter completes a paper form and submits it to election officials. Officials then review the registration and, if appropriate, approve it, adding the name of the voter to the state's voter registration rolls. In an online registration system, a voter fills out the form online and it is then submitted electronically to election officials. Proponents of online voter registration argue that such systems can lower costs and improve accessibility for voters. Some have raised concerns about the security of such systems in the wake of high-profile consumer data breaches.

As of April 2024, 42 states, Washington, D.C., and Guam allowed online voter registration.

Post-election audits check that election results tallied by a state's voting system match results from paper records, such as paper ballots filled out by voters or the paper records produced by electronic voting machines. Post-election audits are classified into two categories: audits of election results—which include traditional post-election audits as well as risk-limiting audits—and procedural audits.

Typically, traditional post-election audits are done by recounting a portion of ballots, either electronically or by hand, and comparing the results to those produced by the state's voting system. In contrast, risk-limiting audits use statistical methods to compare a random sample of votes cast to election results instead of reviewing every ballot. The scope of procedural audits varies by state, but they typically include a systematic review of voting equipment, performance of the voting system, vote totals, duties of election officials and workers, ballot chain of custody, and more.

Forty-six states and the District of Columbia require some form of post-election audit by law, excluding states with pilot programs. Of these, 39 states and the District of Columbia require traditional post-election audits, while three states require risk-limiting post-election audits, and three states require some other form of post-election audit, including procedural post-election audits.

See also: Primary types

Primary elections allow voters to determine which candidates compete in the general election and can be nonpartisan or partisan. In partisan primaries, voters choose the candidates they prefer for a political party to nominate in the general election.

The laws governing primary elections vary from state to state and can even vary within states by locality and political party. For example, only registered party members are allowed to vote in closed primaries, while registered party members and unaffiliated voters are allowed to vote in semi-closed primaries, and all voters are allowed to vote in open primaries.

Primary elections also vary by the way their outcomes are determined. Majority systems require the winning candidate to receive at least fifty percent of the votes cast, while plurality systems do not. In top-two primaries, top-four primaries, and blanket primaries, all candidates are listed on the same ballot, regardless of partisan affiliation.

See also: Laws governing the private funding of elections

The private funding of elections refers to the practice of nonprofits, private organizations, or individuals providing funding or other resources to election administrators for the purpose of conducting or administering an election. As of November 2025, 29 states enacted laws banning or otherwise restricting the use of private donations for election administration purposes. Twenty-one of these states had a Republican trifecta when the law was adopted; five states had divided governments at the time. Two states, Louisiana and Wisconsin, adopted their bans through a ballot measure. No states banned or restricted private election funding prior to 2021. The map below shows the landscape of private funding laws as of November 2025, including all states that enacted laws and those states' trifecta status at the time of adoption.

See also: Ranked-choice voting (RCV)

A ranked-choice voting system (RCV) is an electoral system in which voters rank candidates by preference on their ballots. There are multiple forms of ranked-choice voting, including instant-runoff voting, and single-transferable vote.

As of December 2025, ranked-choice voting was used for regular statewide elections in two states, Alaska and Maine. Hawaii also used ranked-choice voting for special congressional elections. Fourteen other states used ranked-choice voting in some local elections, while 17 states had adopted laws banning or prohibiting the use of ranked-choice voting statewide.

See also: Election recount laws and procedures in the 50 states

An election recount is a process by which votes cast in an election are re-tabulated to verify the accuracy of the original results. Recounts typically occur in the event of a close margin of victory, following accusations of election fraud, or due to the possibility of administrative errors. Recounts can either occur automatically or be requested by a candidate or voters. Recounts can happen in races at any level, from local offices up to presidential elections. In the case of presidential elections, however, recounts are carried out at the state level rather than nationally.

State recount laws differ in three key ways: whether a recount is available and, if so, if it occurs automatically or must be requested, which party may request a recount, and who pays for a recount if it occurs.

HIGHLIGHTS

All but two states — Mississippi and Tennessee — allow for election recounts.

Automatic recounts, which occur if election results meet specific criteria outlined in state law, are possible in 28 states. Requested recounts, where an interested party must ask for votes to be counted again, are allowed in 43 states. 

In 21 states, an interested party can only request a recount if the vote difference is within a certain margin.

In 42 states, candidates are allowed to request a recount. In 35 states, voters can request recounts in at least some elections.

The person who requests the recount pays for it in 23 states. Seven states pay for recounts. In 11 states, who pays depends on the circumstances of the election or the recount.

In 27 states, a refund may be available for a requested recount. In four states, the possibility of a refund depends on the recount circumstances. In five states, no refund is available.

The map below outlines the type of recount laws in each state.

See also: Same-day voter registration

Same-day voter registration enables voters to register and vote at the same time. Same-day registration is sometimes referred to as Election Day registration.

As of November 2025:

Twenty-two states and the District of Columbia had same-day registration provisions enabling voters to register and vote at the same time.

In 12 of these states, Democrats held a trifecta, Republicans held a trifecta in six states, and four states had divided government.

In 21 of these states and the District of Columbia, same-day voter registration is available on Election Day (and often during the early voting period as well).

North Carolina is the only state that offered same-day registration during the early voting period, but not on Election Day.

Two states, Alaska and Rhode Island, allowed same-day registration to vote for president and vice-president.

In states that allow same-day registration, voters must generally provide proof of residency (e.g., utility bill, pay stub) and identity (e.g., driver's license) at the time of registration.

See also: Voter identification laws by state

These laws require voters to present some form of identification at the polls. In some cases, the required identification must include a photo.

As of October 2025, 36 states required voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day, but many states provide for exceptions to these rules. Of these states, 24 required voters to present identification containing a photograph, with certain exceptions, and 12 states did not explicitly require photo identification. The remaining 14 states did not generally require voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day.

Valid forms of identification differ by state. Commonly accepted forms of ID include driver's licenses, state-issued identification cards, and military identification cards.

The federal Help America Vote Act requires that individuals in all 50 states who register to vote by mail and who have not voted previously in a federal election in their state must provide either their driver's license or a paycheck, bank statement, current utility bill, or government document showing their name and address. Individuals voting by mail must include a copy of one of those documents with their absentee/mail-in ballot.

These requirements do not apply if an individual submitted a copy of their identification, their driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number when registering to vote.

In certain states that require voters to provide identification, there may be exceptions that allow some voters to cast a ballot without providing an ID.

In 16 states, some or all voters can sign an affidavit or a form in lieu of providing identification. Seven states allow election officials or other voters to vouch for a person's identity instead of an ID. And in four states, voters who live and vote in state-licensed nursing homes or care centers do not have to provide ID. Nine states do not have any exceptions to their voter ID laws. To see more about these exceptions, see details by state below.

Forty states allow voters to cast a provisional ballot if they are unable to provide identification at the polls. If a voter casts a provisional ballot and returns with identification, or if their identity is verified by another method, the ballot will count.

Many states that require identification allow voters to cast provisional ballots if they do not have the required identification. Hover over each state in the map below for more details.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, "[b]ecause of the importance of the lists, and the constant movement on them, all states take steps to keep their voter registration rolls accurate and up to date." Election officials endeavor to ensure that the names of deceased persons, non-voting felons and former residents are not included on voter lists.

The states employ a variety of different methods and tools in this endeavor. States cross-check their voter lists against data from federal agencies, including the Social Security Administration, the Department of Homeland Security and the United States Postal Service. State election agencies also verify voter lists against information from other state agencies, including departments of vital statistics, motor vehicle registration agencies and departments of corrections. Every state also has policies to remove inactive voters from the voter rolls.

See also: Voting rights for people convicted of a felony

Voting rights for people convicted of a felony vary substantially from state to state. As of April 2025, people convicted of a felony in Maine, Vermont, and Washington, D.C. retained the right to vote while incarcerated. In 38 other states, people convicted of a felony could not vote while incarcerated but automatically regained the right to vote upon their release or at some point thereafter. Ten states did not automatically restore voting rights for people convicted of a felony.

Generally, governors across the United States may exercise the executive authority to restore voting rights by pardon on an individual basis.

Since 2020, nine states have passed legislation that more quickly restored voting rights to certain individuals convicted of a felony, while voters in one state, California, approved a ballot measure that did so. Governors in two other states, Iowa and Virginia, took executive actions related to the restoration of voting rights. Read more below.

Arguments for and against election policies

See the following pages for an in-depth look at the arguments for and against the following election administration policy topics:

• Early voting

• No-excuse absentee voting

• Restricting who may return mail ballots

• Voter ID laws

• Closed primaries

• Top-two primaries

• Restoring Section 5 preclearance under the Voting Rights Act

• Ranked-choice voting

• Same-day voter registration

• Allowing felons to vote while incarcerated

• Automatic restoration of voting rights for convicted felons

• Using voter inactivity as a trigger to remove names from voter lists

• Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Method of how ballots were cast by state

See also: Voting policies in the United States

The following table shows how many ballots were cast by specific methods (by mail, early in-person voting, etc.) according to the Election Assistance Commission's 2024 report on U.S. election administration, which can be found here.

Method of how ballots were cast by state, 2024

State	Mail ballots counted	In-person Election Day votes	In-person early votes	Provisional voters
Alabama	126,018	N/A	N/A	N/A
Alaska	48,744	175,541	92,281	14,786
Arizona	2,816,885	496,753	349,129	15,699
Arkansas	24,552	294,235	810,714	1,389
California	13,062,318	1,836,518	878,489	289,935
Colorado	2,957,550	141,556	109,209	205
Connecticut	127,354	N/A	715,275	36
Delaware	33,659	268,718	210,295	14
D.C.	168,111	82,396	72,914	93
Florida	2,947,371	2,596,761	5,364,821	6,168
Georgia	268,751	1,239,125	3,768,395	3,718
Hawaii	483,078	0	39,158	0
Idaho	179,777	508,734	225,973	N/A
Illinois	1,022,256	2,666,185	2,001,203	8,316
Indiana	1,603,815	1,372,508	1,397,345	1,939
Iowa	220,041	N/A	N/A	749
Kansas	149,350	604,319	557,906	27,441
Kentucky	116,324	1,267,653	687,057	194
Louisiana	119,706	1,047,445	849,784	535
Maine	215,242	463,500	157,116	N/A
Maryland	744,244	1,145,134	974,945	145,763
Massachusetts	1,173,112	1,713,191	600,225	1,797
Michigan	2,017,704	2,453,252	1,214,409	10
Minnesota	446,576	1,960,360	850,705	N/A
Mississippi	N/A	1,010,752	N/A	14,685
Missouri	178,526	2,067,247	867,936	5,534
Montana	430,159	N/A	N/A	N/A
Nebraska	307,135	564,660	80,304	10,651
Nevada	656,140	247,291	543,461	28,242
New Hampshire	92,945	730,273	0	0
New Jersey	828,200	N/A	N/A	116,528
New Mexico	111,527	252,629	556,395	1,597
New York	836,987	4,320,467	2,986,704	194,588
North Carolina	298,269	1,175,905	4,224,909	24,989
North Dakota	89,429	181,998	99,007	N/A
Ohio	1,058,400	3,130,240	1,536,604	104,848
Oklahoma	98,548	1,174,876	294,037	1,598
Oregon	2,253,114	N/A	N/A	52
Pennsylvania	1,933,102	5,043,808	N/A	69,506
Rhode Island	51,995	290,699	173,547	2,514
South Carolina	98,782	977,341	1,476,843	4,517
South Dakota	151,762	273,648	0	201
Tennessee	86,904	856,491	2,132,535	3,139
Texas	384,221	2,329,171	8,703,181	20,511
Utah	1,239,070	104,350	36,381	41,114
Vermont	240,375	122,386	2,631	0
Virginia	474,332	2,053,905	1,840,239	111,390
Washington	3,890,945	N/A	171	12
West Virginia	22,377	431,925	310,305	2,905
Wisconsin	572,434	1,870,285	977,648	57
Wyoming	38,217	154,579	76,943	63
Total	47,496,433	51,698,810	48,847,129	1,278,028

State legislation

The table below includes bills related to elections that have been introduced during (or carried over to) the current legislative session. 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 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.

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See also

• Election Policy
• Sample Ballot Lookup
• Early voting
• Absentee voting
• Ballot collection laws by state
• Voter identification laws by state
• Online voter registration

• Same-day voter registration
• Automatic voter registration
• Election recount laws and procedures in the 50 states
• Electoral system
• Primary election systems by state
• Ranked-choice voting (RCV)
• Voting rights for people convicted of a felony

External links

• U.S. Election Assistance Commission
• NCSL Election Resources

Footnotes

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