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Where Americans Can Vote by Mail in the 2020 ElectionsSkip to Comments
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Where Americans Can Vote by Mail in the 2020 Elections

Ballots mailed

directly to all voters

Absentee voting

allowed for all

Excuse required

for absentee voting

21%

57%

22%

44 million voters

in nine states + D.C.

118 million voters

in 34 states

46 million voters

in seven states

Vt.

N.H.

Maine

Each square

is 100,000

registered voters.

N.D.

Mass.

Wash.

N.Y.

Minn.

Wis.

Mich.

S.D.

Idaho

Mont.

Ore.

Conn.

R.I.

Pa.

Iowa

N.J.

Ill.

Ind.

Ohio

Wyo.

Md.

Utah

W.Va.

Del.

Colo.

D.C.

Neb.

Calif.

Ky.

Va.

Mo.

Nev.

Kan.

N.M.

Tenn.

N.C.

Ark.

Okla.

Ariz.

S.C.

La.

Miss.

Ala.

Ga.

Texas

Alaska

Hawaii

Fla.

Ballots mailed

directly to all voters

Absentee voting

allowed for all

Excuse required

for absentee voting

21%

57%

22%

44 million voters

in nine states + D.C.

118 million voters

in 34 states

46 million voters

in seven states

Maine

Vt.

N.H.

Each square is 100,000

registered voters.

N.D.

Mass.

Wash.

N.Y.

Minn.

Wis.

Mich.

S.D.

Idaho

Mont.

Ore.

Conn.

R.I.

Pa.

Iowa

N.J.

Ill.

Ind.

Ohio

Wyo.

Md.

Utah

W.Va.

Del.

Colo.

D.C.

Neb.

Calif.

Ky.

Va.

Mo.

Nev.

Kan.

N.M.

Tenn.

N.C.

Ark.

Okla.

Ariz.

S.C.

La.

Ala.

Ga.

Miss.

Texas

Alaska

Hawaii

Fla.

Ballots mailed

directly to all voters

Absentee voting

allowed for all

Excuse required

for absentee voting

21%

57%

22%

44 million voters

in nine states + D.C.

118 million voters

in 34 states

46 million voters

in seven states

Vt.

N.H.

Maine

N.D.

Mass.

Wash.

N.Y.

Minn.

Wis.

Mich.

S.D.

Idaho

Ore.

Conn.

R.I.

Mont.

Pa.

Iowa

N.J.

Ill.

Ind.

Ohio

Wyo.

Md.

Utah

W.Va.

Del.

Colo.

D.C.

Neb.

Calif.

Ky.

Va.

Mo.

Nev.

Kan.

N.M.

Each square

is 100,000

registered voters.

Tenn.

N.C.

Ark.

Okla.

Ariz.

S.C.

La.

Ala.

Ga.

Miss.

Texas

Alaska

Hawaii

Fla.

Ballots mailed

directly to all voters

Absentee voting

allowed for all

Excuse required

for absentee voting

21%

57%

22%

44 million voters

in nine states + D.C.

118 million voters

in 34 states

46 million voters

in seven states

ME

VT

NH

MA

WA

NY

MN

WI

MI

OR

CT

RI

PA

IA

NJ

IL

IN

OH

MD

WV

UT

DE

CO

NE

CA

VA

KY

MO

NV

KS

NM

TN

NC

AR

OK

AZ

SC

AL

GA

MS

LA

Each square

is 100,000

registered voters.

TX

AK

HI

FL

Ballots mailed

directly to

all voters

Absentee

voting allowed

for all

Excuse required

for absentee

voting

21%

57%

22%

44 million

voters in nine

states + D.C.

118 million

voters in

34 states

46 million

voters in

seven states

ME

VT

NH

MA

WA

NY

MN

WI

MI

OR

CT

RI

PA

IA

NJ

IL

IN

OH

MD

WV

UT

CO

DE

CA

VA

KY

MO

NV

KS

TN

NC

AR

OK

AZ

SC

LA

MS

AL

GA

Each square

is 100,000

registered

voters.

TX

AK

HI

FL

Note: Montana authorized its counties to mail ballots to all voters but in counties that opt not to, voters will still need to apply for an absentee ballot.

At least three-quarters of all American voters will be eligible to receive a ballot in the mail for the 2020 election — the most in U.S. history, according to a New York Times analysis. If recent election trends hold and turnout increases, as experts predict, roughly 80 million mail ballots will flood election offices this fall, more than double the number that were returned in 2016.

The rapid and seismic shift in how Americans will vote is because of the coronavirus pandemic. Concerns about the potential for virus transmission at polling places have forced many states to make adjustments on the fly that — despite President Trump’s protests — will make mail voting in America more accessible this fall than ever before.

“I have a hard time looking back at history and finding an election where there was this significant of a change to how elections are administered in this short a time period,” said Alex Padilla, the California secretary of state who chairs the Democratic Association of Secretaries of State.

Most of the changes are temporary and have been made administratively by state and local officials who have the power to make adjustments during emergencies like the pandemic.

Mail voting rules for the 2020 election

Ballots mailed

Absentee allowed for all

Excuse required

All states allow at least some mail voting, but some will make it more accessible to voters than others.

In nine states and Washington, D.C., every registered voter will be mailed a ballot ahead of the election. California, D.C. and Vermont will do this for the first time this fall.

In 34 states, voters can cite the coronavirus as a reason to vote absentee or they can cast absentee ballots without specifying a reason.

In nine states, every registered voter will automatically be mailed an application to request an absentee ballot.

In 25 states, voters will need to procure an application for an absentee ballot themselves.

In seven states, voters still need a reason beyond the virus to vote absentee. That means many voters in these states will need to vote in person at a polling place, barring any last-minute rule changes.

Several of the states that made changes for the primaries are keeping them in place for the general election, while others are making separate adjustments for the fall. A handful of states have not made any modifications and appear unlikely to do so.

Over all, 27 states and Washington, D.C., have in some way expanded voter access to mail ballots for the 2020 general election, with the broad goal of making it easier for people to vote amid a global health crisis. And in some states that maintained relatively strict rules, individual counties have undertaken similar efforts.

Changes to voting in fall 2020

Ballots mailed

Absentee allowed for all

Excuse required

States that made changes

Sending ballots

to all voters

Sending absentee ballot

applications to all voters

Allowing no-excuse

absentee voting

IA

MO

CA

NJ

NV

CT

DE

IL

MD

DE

MA

DC

WI

VT

MA

NM

Allowing voters to cite

Covid to vote absentee

Other changes to

ease absentee voting

AL

AR

SC

CT

KY

MI

MN

MT

NC

WV

VA

RI

NH

PA

OK

States that made no changes

OR

AZ

FL

GA

KS

CO

HI

AK

ID

LA

MS

IN

UT

WA

NE

ND

NY

TN

ME

OH

SD

WY

TX

States that made changes

Sending ballots to all voters

CA

DC

NJ

NV

VT

Sending absentee ballot applications

to all voters

CT

MD

DE

IL

IA

MA

WI

NM

Allowing for no-excuse absentee voting

MO

DE

MA

Allowing voters to cite Covid to vote

absentee

AL

AR

CT

KY

NH

WV

Other changes to ease absentee voting

NC

MI

MN

MT

OK

PA

SC

RI

VA

No changes made

OR

UT

WA

CO

HI

AK

AZ

FL

GA

ID

KS

ME

NE

ND

OH

SD

WY

IN

LA

MS

NY

TN

TX

States that made changes

Sending ballots

to all voters

Sending absentee ballot

applications to all voters

CA

NJ

NV

CT

MA

DC

DE

IL

IA

WI

VT

MD

NM

Allowing for no-excuse

absentee voting

Allowing voters to cite Covid

to vote absentee

MO

AL

AR

DE

MA

CT

KY

NH

WV

Other changes to ease absentee voting

NC

MN

RI

VA

MI

MT

OK

PA

SC

No changes made

KS

OR

AZ

FL

GA

CO

HI

AK

ID

UT

WA

ME

NE

ND

OH

SD

WY

IN

LA

MS

NY

TN

TX

Note: Connecticut, Delaware, and Massachusetts have authorized absentee voting for all voters and will also mail absentee ballot applications.

Several new pieces of state legislation are also still pending, and experts say more changes could be forthcoming through executive action, litigation or other mechanisms in a few states, including New York.

But they also note that many Americans who choose to vote by mail this cycle because of the virus will simply be leveraging options that have long been available to them under existing laws.

More mail votes, higher turnout

During the presidential primaries, many states that made it easier for people to vote by mail saw higher turnout than states that made fewer changes.

Of the states that have held presidential primaries and caucuses this year, 31 saw an increase in turnout compared with 2016. Of those, 18 had sent either ballots or ballot applications to all voters ahead of the primaries.

Turnout in presidential primaries and caucuses

Change in primary

turnout, 2016-2020

Lower turnout

Higher turnout

–25%

Same

+25%

States that

sent ballots

or ballot

applications

NE

KY

MT

OR

NV

OH

IA

NJ

MD

CO

KS

States that

did not

HI

RI

UT

AK

ID

ND

WA

75%

More voted

by mail

WV

SD

CA

TX

MI

IN

WI

DC

NM

AZ

PA

Percentage

that voted

absentee in

2020 primary

50%

NY

ME

DE

NC

GA

FL

25%

Fewer voted

by mail

AL

MS

SC

OK

LA

VT

IL

VA

States that did not

States that sent ballots

or ballot applications

Lower

turnout

Higher

turnout

Change in primary

turnout, 2016-2020

–25%

Same

+25%

NE

KY

MT

OR

NV

OH

IA

NJ

MD

CO

KS

HI

RI

UT

AK

ID

ND

WA

More voted

by mail

75%

WV

SD

CA

TX

MI

IN

DC

NM

WI

AZ

PA

50%

Percentage

that voted

absentee in

2020 primary

NY

ME

DE

NC

GA

FL

Fewer voted

by mail

25%

AL

MS

SC

OK

LA

VT

IL

VA

States that sent ballots or ballot applications

States that did not

Change in primary turnout, 2016-2020

–25%

Same

+25%

NE

KY

MT

OR

NV

OH

IA

NJ

MD

CO

KS

HI

RI

UT

AK

ID

ND

WA

75%

WV

SD

CA

TX

MI

IN

DC

NM

WI

PA

AZ

50%

ME

NC

DE

GA

FL

Percentage that

voted absentee

in 2020 primary

NY

25%

OK

LA

AL

MS

SC

VT

IL

VA

Note: Seven states that have had primaries or caucuses are not shown in the chart because vote-by-mail data is not available. Of those, Minnesota and Wyoming had overall increases in turnout. Arkansas, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire and Tennessee had decreases in turnout.

Six states continued to require voters to have a reason other than the virus in order to vote absentee in the primaries. In those states, voter turnout stayed roughly the same as 2016.

Michael P. McDonald, a University of Florida professor who studies American elections, said that recent election trends, including many of this year’s primaries, have indicated that turnout will be up in the fall compared with 2016, and that the widespread use of mail voting will shatter previous records.

“It’s sort of trite to say that you’re going to have the highest turnout rate of your lifetime or this is the most important election of your lifetime, but it really feels like that,” he said. “I’m still expecting this to have very high turnout in November. The outstanding question that we have is just: Will the election system be able to bear that?”

Indeed, the primaries also exposed the myriad problems that elections officials and voters could face this fall.

In Wisconsin, 11th-hour court rulings, long lines at the polls, a backlog of absentee ballot requests and complaints about missing or nullified mail ballots stretched the system to the brink of collapse. In Georgia’s most populous county, voters encountered an election meltdown rife with their own interminable lines and malfunctioning technology. And in New York, it took several weeks for overwhelmed officials to count thousands of mail ballots and deliver results.

All the while, Mr. Trump has fiercely criticized mail voting — while allowing that military members and older Americans should be allowed to vote absentee — saying that sending ballots to voters directly would compromise the election’s integrity. More broadly, some Republicans have continued to insist without evidence that voting by mail favors Democrats.

Mail voting has expanded unevenly along somewhat partisan lines: Several of the states identified by The Cook Political Report as solid or likely Democratic in the 2020 general election have implemented some of the most expansive mail voting programs; many of the states identified as solid or likely Republican have continued to restrict access to mail voting.

Cook Political Report ratings for 2020 Electoral College

Ballots mailed

Absentee allowed for all

Excuse required

Solid + Likely

Democratic

Toss-ups

and leans

Solid + Likely

Republican

CA

DC

NJ

AZ

FL

GA

IA

ME-2

UT

AL

AR

CO

HI

AK

ID

MO

MT

KS

OR

VT

WA

CT

MI

MN

NC

NE-2

NH

KY

ND

NV

DE

ME

ME-1

PA

WI

IL

MA

OH

TX

NE

NE-1

NE-3

OK

SD

MD

NY

WV

LA

MS

NM

RI

VA

WY

IN

SC

TN

Solid + Likely Democratic

OR

VT

CA

DC

NJ

NV

CO

HI

ME

ME-1

MD

WA

CT

DE

IL

MA

NY

NM

RI

VA

Toss-ups and leans

AZ

FL

GA

IA

ME-2

MI

MN

NC

PA

WI

NE-2

NH

OH

TX

Solid + Likely Republican

KS

MO

UT

AL

AR

KY

AK

ID

MT

ND

NE

NE-1

NE-3

OK

SD

WV

LA

MS

SC

WY

IN

TN

Solid + Likely

Democratic

Toss-ups

and leans

Solid + Likely

Republican

CA

DC

AZ

FL

GA

IA

UT

AL

AR

CO

HI

AK

MO

OR

KS

NJ

VT

ME-2

MI

MN

NC

ID

KY

NV

MT

CT

DE

IL

PA

ND

NE

NE-1

WA

NE-2

NH

OH

MA

ME

ME-1

MD

WI

NE-3

OK

SD

WV

TX

LA

MS

NM

RI

NY

IN

VA

WY

SC

TN

Note: Maine and Nebraska select electors using the District method, in which each congressional district in the state selects its own elector, and the remaining two electoral college votes are determined by the popular vote winner.

Studies have repeatedly shown that voting fraud of any kind is extremely rare in the United States. And states and counties that have transitioned to all-mail voting have seen little evidence of partisan advantage.

Potential problems in November

Researchers said that thinly stretched election offices might quickly become overwhelmed by the volume of mail ballots. To help lessen their load, elections officials in several key swing states have already asked that lawmakers give them more leeway to prepare absentee ballots for counting as they arrive rather than after the polls close.

Their problems could be compounded by a lack of funding for the Postal Service. If there are slowdowns in either election offices or post offices, experts said, ballots may not get sent out in a timely manner or returned by postmark deadlines.

Richard L. Hasen, a professor of law and political science at the University of California, Irvine, said he remained “very worried” that scores of voters would be disenfranchised through no fault of their own. Because many voters will be unfamiliar with the mail voting process, he and other experts said, they were concerned that voters could make unintentional technical errors when marking, signing, sealing or sending a ballot, leading to their ballots eventually being rejected.

And those voting in person may have to confront poll worker shortages that onlookers say are likely to be exacerbated by the pandemic.

“It’s going to be bumpy,” said Amber McReynolds, the chief executive of the National Vote at Home Institute and Coalition. “Will it be a disaster in a particular state? That’s hard to tell at this moment.”

Well-prepared states that are accustomed to counting a high number of mail ballots — and where the presidential race is not close — could get called on election night. But experts say that in other states, the counting could delay race calls for at least a day or two. And in states where the presidential contest is tight and laws are inflexible, a clear picture of who has won could take weeks to develop.

Despite the challenges, Phil Keisling, who was Oregon’s secretary of state when it began mailing ballots to voters more than two decades ago, was among more than a half-dozen experts who expressed faith that election administrators would get their jobs done.

“Tens of millions of people are in election terra incognita, and so there’s anxiety, and it’s understandable,” Mr. Keisling said. “But I am guardedly optimistic that we will run an election that will meet very high standards of professionalism, and that the vast majority of Americans, even if they don’t like the results, are going to believe that the results are fair.”