Map: Mail-In Voting Rules By State — And The Deadlines You Need
4 years, 3 months ago

Map: Mail-In Voting Rules By State — And The Deadlines You Need

NPR  

Map: Mail-In Voting Rules By State — And The Deadlines You Need Loading. Many states, including New Hampshire and New York, have suspended the need for an excuse to obtain an absentee ballot, or said fear of contracting COVID-19 while voting is a valid excuse. The graphic above gives a broad overview of mail-in voting procedures for each state and some basic deadlines voters should know. If your state has no true early voting period, you can likely still drop-off an absentee ballot early.

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History of this topic

Vote-counting rules in battleground states complicate when a winner is likely to be named
2 months ago

Vote-counting rules in battleground states complicate when a winner is likely to be named

LA Times  

Unless polling that portends a paper-thin margin between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump is completely wrong — a possibility because of dizzying changes in how voters cast ballots as well as a pandemic-prompted overhaul of election laws — Americans should plan on going to bed Tuesday night without knowing who won the White House. It’s hard to …

Time is Running Out for Pennsylvanians to Request a Mail Ballot and Submit It to Vote in the Nov. 5 General Election
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Time is Running Out for Pennsylvanians to Request a Mail Ballot and Submit It to Vote in the Nov. 5 General Election

Associated Press  

Pennsylvania's mail-in ballot deadline is approaching, with the deadline to request a ballot Tuesday at 5 p.m. Voters can request a ballot at their county elections office or online through the Department of State. Counties have different policies for notifying voters of errors on return envelopes, but the Pennsylvania Supreme Court recently ruled that any voter who attempted to vote …

US Postal Service Reopens All Processing Centers in Hurricane-Hit Areas
2 months, 2 weeks ago

US Postal Service Reopens All Processing Centers in Hurricane-Hit Areas

Associated Press  

The U.S. Postal Service has reopened all of its mail processing centers in areas of Florida and North Carolina hit by recent hurricanes. The agency has assured voters and election officials that it is ready to handle mail ballots and that 99.7% of the election-related mail was delivered within three days for the last presidential election in 2020.

Several states are making late changes to election rules, even as voting is set to begin
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Several states are making late changes to election rules, even as voting is set to begin

Associated Press  

In Georgia, election workers will have to hand count the number of ballots cast after voting is completed. Across the country, including in some of the nation’s presidential swing states, new or recently altered state laws are changing how Americans will vote, tally ballots, and administer and certify November’s election. After the July primary, Maricopa County Elections spokesperson Jennifer Liewer …

Nevada can start tabulating ballots earlier on Election Day for quicker results
7 months, 2 weeks ago

Nevada can start tabulating ballots earlier on Election Day for quicker results

Associated Press  

RENO, Nev. — Nevada election officials can start tabulating in-person Election Day votes as they come in, rather than waiting for polls to close in an effort to get results out quicker, Democratic Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar said Wednesday. Aguilar cited state law in making the recommendation to county election officials that also include tabulating mail ballots as early …

Election 2024: Why does each state in the U.S. have different voting rules?
1 year ago

Election 2024: Why does each state in the U.S. have different voting rules?

Associated Press  

In Louisiana, any voter can cast a ballot in person during early voting ahead of Election Day. A voter enters Tuscaloosa County Ward 5, Montgomery Fire Department, to vote during a primary election, Tuesday, March 5, 2024, in Northport, Ala. A voter drops off a vote-by-mail ballot on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, during the presidential primary election in Vancouver, Wash. …

Why mail voting laws may slow the count in some key swing states
2 years, 2 months ago

Why mail voting laws may slow the count in some key swing states

NPR  

Why mail voting laws may slow the count in some key swing states Enlarge this image toggle caption Gene J. Puskar/AP Gene J. Puskar/AP Follow live updates and results from Election Day 2022 here. That includes the key swing states of Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, where prep work cannot start until 7 a.m. local time on Election Day. This restriction puts …

Ballot deadline extended for some Georgia voters after error
2 years, 2 months ago

Ballot deadline extended for some Georgia voters after error

Associated Press  

MARIETTA, Ga. — A judge on Monday agreed to extend the deadline to return absentee ballots for voters in a suburban Atlanta county who didn’t receive their ballots because election officials failed to mail them. Election officials agreed to the lawsuit’s demands that the deadline to return ballots be extended and that the voters be contacted and sent an absentee …

GOP voters told to hold onto mail ballots until Election Day
2 years, 2 months ago

GOP voters told to hold onto mail ballots until Election Day

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — Republican activists who believe the 2020 election was stolen from former President Donald Trump have crafted a plan that, in their telling, will thwart cheating in this year’s midterm elections. Trump also has weighed in, saying at a recent rally that voting on Election Day was best because “it’s much harder for them to cheat that way.” The …

In-person voting starts in Minnesota, 3 other early states
2 years, 3 months ago

In-person voting starts in Minnesota, 3 other early states

Associated Press  

MINNEAPOLIS — In-person voting for the midterm elections opened Friday in Minnesota, South Dakota, Virginia and Wyoming, kicking off a six-week sprint to Election Day in a landscape that has changed much since the pandemic drove a shift to mail balloting in the 2020 presidential contest. “I like to vote early because you never know what might happen on Election …

Mail ballot fight persists in key states, sure to slow count
2 years, 3 months ago

Mail ballot fight persists in key states, sure to slow count

Associated Press  

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Former President Donald Trump and his allies seized on the drawn-out vote processing and counting in Pennsylvania during the 2020 election to fuel his false claims that fraud cost him victory in the battleground state — and election officials worry that a replay could be on the horizon in November’s crucial Senate and governor’s races. Efforts since …

NC governor vetoes bill moving up absentee ballot deadline
3 years, 1 month ago

NC governor vetoes bill moving up absentee ballot deadline

Associated Press  

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed on Thursday legislation that would bar officials from counting mail-in absentee ballots received after Election Day, even if their envelopes were postmarked on or before that date. “The legislature ironically named this bill ‘The Election Day Integrity Act’ when it actually does the opposite,” Cooper said in his veto message. …

Earlier NC absentee vote receipt deadline goes to Cooper
3 years, 1 month ago

Earlier NC absentee vote receipt deadline goes to Cooper

Associated Press  

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina Republicans pushed a bill through the legislature on Thursday that would prohibit officials from counting mail-in absentee ballots received after Election Day. Providing certainty to election outcomes sooner, Mills added, “will build voter confidence in our election process.” About 30 states already don’t accept absentee ballots received after Election Day. “Some folks may not make …

California’s universal voting by mail becomes permanent
3 years, 3 months ago

California’s universal voting by mail becomes permanent

LA Times  

California’s pandemic-inspired move toward mailing a ballot to every registered, active voter will become a permanent part of the state’s political landscape, an embrace of an extended and flexible voting process instead of the traditional focus on a single day of voting in person. Gavin Newsom’s signature Monday on Assembly Bill 37 makes California the eighth state in the nation …

After voters embraced mail ballots, GOP states tighten rules
3 years, 4 months ago

After voters embraced mail ballots, GOP states tighten rules

Associated Press  

A monthslong campaign by the Republican Party, fueled in part by the false narrative of widespread fraud in last year’s presidential election, has led to a wave of new voting laws that will tighten access to the ballot for millions of Americans. “Voters are going to feel this the next time they go vote, and that’s what I’m most worried …

House GOP unveils ambitious proposal to revamp election law
3 years, 6 months ago

House GOP unveils ambitious proposal to revamp election law

Associated Press  

HARRISBURG, Pa. — An ambitious Republican proposal to revamp Pennsylvania election law was unveiled Thursday, a 149-page bill that would change deadlines, adopt new rules for early voting, alter mail-in ballot procedures and mandate IDs for all in-person voters. “Improving ballot access for all voters in a bipartisan way like we did in 2019 should be the standard for any …

Mail-in voting law spurring new tensions over elections
3 years, 7 months ago

Mail-in voting law spurring new tensions over elections

Associated Press  

HARRISBURG, Pa. — County officials reprised their call Tuesday for fixes to Pennsylvania’s mail-in voting law to help them run a smoother election in November, as a fight brewed over whether counties must throw out mailed-in ballots without the voter’s handwritten date on the envelope. The counties’ call for action comes amid a partisan stalemate over how to fix shortcomings …

GOP bill would slash voting by mail and early voting in Iowa
3 years, 10 months ago

GOP bill would slash voting by mail and early voting in Iowa

Associated Press  

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Iowa’s Republican-controlled Legislature advanced a bill Wednesday to significantly limit voting by mail and early voting, threaten criminal charges against county auditors who depart from state election guidance and remove many inactive voters from the rolls. It would bar counties from mailing absentee ballot applications to voters, tightly regulate how absentee ballots can be returned and …

EXPLAINER: A long night, or more, before president is known
4 years, 2 months ago

EXPLAINER: A long night, or more, before president is known

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Americans won’t know the winner of the 2020 U.S. presidential election until well into Wednesday — if not beyond that. In North Carolina, beginning five weeks before the election, county boards insert approved ballots into a voting machine, allowing for a prompt tabulation on Election Day. But other states such as Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, all with Republican-led …

Presidency hinges on tight races in battleground states
4 years, 2 months ago

Presidency hinges on tight races in battleground states

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The fate of the United States presidency hung in the balance Wednesday morning, as President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden battled for three familiar battleground states — Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania — that could prove crucial in determining who wins the White House. With neither candidate securing the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the …

US election 2020: How to vote by mail or absentee ballot and when deadlines are in your state
4 years, 2 months ago

US election 2020: How to vote by mail or absentee ballot and when deadlines are in your state

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. It’s important to know that states are continually …

Snail mail: US elex ballots mailed now may not arrive in time
4 years, 2 months ago

Snail mail: US elex ballots mailed now may not arrive in time

Al Jazeera  

Voting advocates are warning that ballots mailed in now may not arrive in time to be counted and should be dropped off at voting facilities instead. Postal Service remains slow despite the intervention of federal judges and some voting advocates say ballots not in the mail now may not arrive in time to be counted and should instead be dropped …

When Will Mail-In Ballots Be Counted? See States' Processing Timelines
4 years, 2 months ago

When Will Mail-In Ballots Be Counted? See States' Processing Timelines

NPR  

When Will Mail-In Ballots Be Counted? See States' Processing Timelines Enlarge this image toggle caption Ethan Miller/Getty Images Ethan Miller/Getty Images Updated on Wed., Oct. 28 at 11:40 a.m. to reflect the most recent rules for processing and counting ballots, per information from each state elections office gathered by NPR. A record number of voters are expected to cast their …

Vision 2020: Will mailed-in ballots be delivered on time?
4 years, 2 months ago

Vision 2020: Will mailed-in ballots be delivered on time?

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. If you plan on voting by mail, election officials say it's best to do …

Federal judge upholds Minnesota’s extended ballot counting
4 years, 2 months ago

Federal judge upholds Minnesota’s extended ballot counting

Associated Press  

MINNEAPOLIS — A federal judge has upheld a Minnesota state court agreement that allows the counting of absentee ballots received up to seven days after Election Day. Republicans had asked U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel to block the seven-day extension that said ballots postmarked on or before Election Day must be counted. Before the consent decree, state law required absentee …

US court denies bid to force expanded Indiana mail-in voting
4 years, 3 months ago

US court denies bid to force expanded Indiana mail-in voting

Associated Press  

INDIANAPOLIS — A federal appeals court has rejected a lawsuit that aimed to make mail-in ballots available to all Indiana voters for the November election because of the coronavirus pandemic, ruling that the limits included in state law don’t violate voters’ constitutional rights. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday upheld a judge’s August ruling that state officials had discretion in …

Whitmer approves earlier processing of absentee ballots
4 years, 3 months ago

Whitmer approves earlier processing of absentee ballots

Associated Press  

LANSING, Mich. — Clerks in Michigan cities or township of at least 25,000 people can start processing a surge of absentee ballots a day before November’s presidential election under legislation signed by Gov. Benson cautioned that because absentee ballots cannot begin to be counted until 7 a.m. on Election Day, the count may not be final until three days after …

Court battle erupts over voters’ signatures on mail ballots
4 years, 3 months ago

Court battle erupts over voters’ signatures on mail ballots

Associated Press  

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania’s top election official has asked the state’s highest court to back her up in a new legal dispute with President Donald Trump’s campaign over whether counties should count mail-in ballots when a voter’s signature doesn’t necessarily match the one on their registration. The filing, at midnight Sunday by Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar, a Democrat, comes …

Delays in verifying mail-in ballots will slow election tally
4 years, 3 months ago

Delays in verifying mail-in ballots will slow election tally

Associated Press  

Voters awaiting results in some of the key presidential battleground states on election night should be prepared to keep waiting, thanks to obstacles that will slow the count for what is expected to be a crush of mailed-in ballots amid the coronavirus pandemic. “I wish I had three days so we could spread it out and not be so stressed.” …

Judge tells Indiana to count ballots mailed by Election Day
4 years, 3 months ago

Judge tells Indiana to count ballots mailed by Election Day

Associated Press  

INDIANAPOLIS — A federal judge has ruled that Indiana law cannot dismiss mail-in ballots that don’t arrive at county election offices by noon on Election Day. The Republicans who control state government have largely resisted calls from Democrats and voting rights groups to ease limits on who can cast mail-in ballots and change the noon Election Day deadline for their …

Fact check: Almost every single one of Trump’s debate claims about mail-in voting was wrong
4 years, 3 months ago

Fact check: Almost every single one of Trump’s debate claims about mail-in voting was wrong

CNN  

CNN — President Donald Trump lied about a wide variety of topics – including health care, the economy and the coronavirus pandemic – during Tuesday’s presidential debate. It’s a fraud, and it’s a shame.” Facts First: Trump was vague here about what he meant by “losing” and “it’s a fraud,” but there are no recent examples of 30% or 40% …

2 Republicans challenge Minnesota plan for late mail ballots
4 years, 3 months ago

2 Republicans challenge Minnesota plan for late mail ballots

Associated Press  

ST. PAUL, Minn. — A Republican state representative and a GOP activist are challenging an agreement to accept mail-in ballots in Minnesota that arrive up to a week after the November election, adding to the nationwide legal fight over voting rules before the presidential election. The lawsuit states the agreement by Secretary of State Steve Simon, a Democrat, violates federal …

Minnesota begins early voting as candidates visit the state
4 years, 3 months ago

Minnesota begins early voting as candidates visit the state

Associated Press  

MINNEAPOLIS — The battleground state of Minnesota began voting in the presidential election on Friday as polling stations opened in every county and local officials began mailing out huge piles of absentee ballots to make voting safer amid the pandemic. “Probably many times over the last four years I had thought, ‘I’m going to be the first dude in Minnesota …

Pennsylvania: Mail ballots can’t be discarded over signature
4 years, 3 months ago

Pennsylvania: Mail ballots can’t be discarded over signature

Associated Press  

HARRISBURG, Pa. — With concerns rising in Pennsylvania that tens of thousands of mail-in ballots will be discarded in the presidential election over technicalities, officials in the presidential battleground told counties they aren’t allowed to reject a ballot solely because an election official believes a signature doesn’t match the one in the voter’s file. The new guidance from Pennsylvania’s Department …

When will we know if Biden or Trump won? It could depend on absentee ballot rules in these states
4 years, 3 months ago

When will we know if Biden or Trump won? It could depend on absentee ballot rules in these states

LA Times  

Absentee ballots are prepared for mailing Sept. 3 at the Wake County Board of Elections in Raleigh, N.C. In June, 78% of voters cast absentee ballots before election day either by mail or in person. On Aug. 4, a county judge ruled the state should allow ballots postmarked by election day to be counted if they’re received by Nov. 10. …

Virginia lawmakers approve absentee voting measures
4 years, 4 months ago

Virginia lawmakers approve absentee voting measures

Associated Press  

RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia lawmakers gave final approval Friday to legislation aimed at making absentee voting easier in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, including having the state prepay postage and provide drop boxes for absentee ballots. The House of Delegates approved a Senate bill that will allocate $2 million for prepaid postage and also set up a process for …

House OKs changes to mail-in voting law; veto threatened
4 years, 4 months ago

House OKs changes to mail-in voting law; veto threatened

Associated Press  

HARRISBURG, Pa. — In the shadow of an increasingly strident presidential campaign, Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives approved changes to the state’s fledgling mail-in voting law Wednesday, but in highly partisan fashion. Rep. Dan Moul, R-Adams, said the bill ensures that the election and mail-in voting “is done as clean and pure as possible.” Rep. Stan Saylor, R-York, meanwhile, accused Wolf …

Fixing Pennsylvania mail-in vote glitches goes down to wire
4 years, 4 months ago

Fixing Pennsylvania mail-in vote glitches goes down to wire

Associated Press  

HARRISBURG, Pa. — With barely three weeks to go before counties can begin mailing out ballots, lawsuits are filling the vacuum of action to fix problems or ambiguities with Pennsylvania’s mail-in voting laws after a primary election that saw record-smashing numbers of mailed-in votes amid the coronavirus pandemic. Postal Service’s warning about its delivery times when it asked the state …

Mail-delivery concerns put spotlight on ballot deadlines
4 years, 4 months ago

Mail-delivery concerns put spotlight on ballot deadlines

Associated Press  

Postal Service warnings that it can’t guarantee mailed ballots will arrive on time have put a spotlight on the narrow time frames most states allow to request and return those ballots. In letters to state election officials late last month, the Postal Service warned many of the deadlines for absentee ballots and ballot applications “may be incongruous with the Postal …

2020 election: Millions of mail-out votes in 46 states may not arrive in time for presidential election, Postal Service warns
4 years, 4 months ago

2020 election: Millions of mail-out votes in 46 states may not arrive in time for presidential election, Postal Service warns

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The US Postal Service …

Pennsylvania says votes arriving up to three days after election will be counted
4 years, 4 months ago

Pennsylvania says votes arriving up to three days after election will be counted

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. "Ballots mailed by voters on or before 8pm on Election Day will be counted …

New Postmaster Hasn't Yet Met Election Officials About Mail-In Ballot Concerns
4 years, 4 months ago

New Postmaster Hasn't Yet Met Election Officials About Mail-In Ballot Concerns

NPR  

New Postmaster Hasn't Yet Met Election Officials About Mail-In Ballot Concerns Enlarge this image toggle caption Alex Wong/Getty Images Alex Wong/Getty Images Election officials are seeking clarification from the Postal Service about how recent cutbacks will affect what's expected to be an avalanche of mail-in voting in the upcoming election. The secretaries — which included Frank LaRose of Ohio, Jocelyn …

Record 76% of Americans able to vote by mail in 2020 despite Trump’s complaints
4 years, 4 months ago

Record 76% of Americans able to vote by mail in 2020 despite Trump’s complaints

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. If recent election trends hold and turnout increases, …

How To Vote By Mail: A Guide To Send In Your Ballot : Life Kit : NPR
4 years, 5 months ago

How To Vote By Mail: A Guide To Send In Your Ballot : Life Kit : NPR

NPR  

The Most Important Mail You'll Ever Send: A Ballot Enlarge this image Martín Elfman for NPR Martín Elfman for NPR The 2020 election is going to be different than any election in American history. States are relaxing restrictions on who's eligible to do it, and in some states, they're spending money on sending ballot request forms or even ballots to …

Fact-checking Trump’s continued assault on mail-in voting and suggestions of delaying the election
4 years, 5 months ago

Fact-checking Trump’s continued assault on mail-in voting and suggestions of delaying the election

CNN  

Washington CNN — President Donald Trump went on a tear against mail-in voting Thursday morning. “The Dems talk of foreign influence in voting, but they know that Mail-In Voting is an easy way for foreign countries to enter the race.” More and more states are considering mail-in ballots as the coronavirus pandemic shows little sign of slowing down in the …

Primary Election Snafus Show Challenges For November Vote
4 years, 7 months ago

Primary Election Snafus Show Challenges For November Vote

NPR  

Primary Election Snafus Show Challenges For November Vote Enlarge this image toggle caption Gene J. Puskar/AP Gene J. Puskar/AP The day after eight states and the District of Columbia held primaries — amid both a pandemic and civil unrest — proponents of mail-in voting said there were lessons to be learned for November, when millions more voters are expected to …

Mail-in voting could turn Election Day into Election Week
4 years, 7 months ago

Mail-in voting could turn Election Day into Election Week

Associated Press  

A shift to mail voting is increasing the chances that Americans will not know the winner of November’s presidential race on election night, a scenario that is fueling worries about whether President Donald Trump will use the delay to sow doubts about the results. “It may be several days before we know the outcome of the election,” Jocelyn Benson, Michigan’s …

Will mail-in voting turn Election Day into Election Week?
4 years, 7 months ago

Will mail-in voting turn Election Day into Election Week?

Associated Press  

A shift to mail voting is increasing the chances that Americans will not know the winner of November’s presidential race on election night, a scenario that is fueling worries about whether President Donald Trump will use the delay to sow doubts about the results. “It may be several days before we know the outcome of the election,” Jocelyn Benson, Michigan’s …

Trump slams mail-in balloting promoted by his own campaign
4 years, 7 months ago

Trump slams mail-in balloting promoted by his own campaign

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday railed against mail-in balloting that in some cases has been promoted by his own reelection campaign, alleging without evidence that it leads to “total election fraud.” A day earlier, Trump threatened to pull federal money for states that support the practice. “To really vote and without fraud,” Trump said later in Michigan, “you …

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