Can I Still Request an Absentee Ballot?

October 15, 2020

So you’ve decided you want to vote by mail: great idea! The first step to getting an absentee ballot is requesting one. Every state has different ways and different deadlines for how voters can request an absentee ballot.

In all states (except North Dakota), residents need to be registered before they can vote. Some states let people register to vote and request their ballot at the same time, while others require that they already be registered before they can request it. Check out your state’s Secretary of State or Board of Elections website to see if you can still register.

Some voters won’t need to request a ballot at all to vote by mail! In nine states and D.C., the government will automatically mail all registered voters ballots for the November 2020 election. How easy is that! But even in these states, if the voter is not going to be at the address where they’re registered to vote when their ballot arrives (for example, they’re on vacation for a few weeks or are living in college), they will need to request an absentee ballot to be sent to another address.

Once a voter is registered, there are plenty of ways for them to request their absentee ballot. For seven states, the deadlines differ based on how a voter requests a ballot. Most people will probably find requesting online to be the most convenient way. Of the 41 states that won’t automatically mail ballots to everyone this year, 24 let voters request online. See the map above if your state has an online portal and feel free to head to your state’s election website and request a ballot instantly.

There are other options to request a ballot too, of course. Some states even let voters request one over the telephone! All states let residents apply by mail, most often by printing out a form and sending it in to their county clerk. One thing to remember: unlike with online requests, by mail requests take some time to get to election officials. Just two states, Connecticut and New York, accept requests that arrive after the deadline but were postmarked on time: so make sure you get counted by mailing in your request at least a few days before the deadline!

If it’s getting close to a voter’s state’s deadline, requesting an absentee ballot in-person is a great way to apply. In the seven states that have different deadlines for different methods of requesting an absentee ballot, in-person has the latest deadline. Often, they’ll even give voters their ballot right there at the office. To find out where you can apply in person, check out your state’s Secretary of State or county election officials’ website.

Remember, the earlier you request a ballot the earlier it’ll get sent to you.

Some states have such relaxed deadlines (like the day before the election or even election day itself!) chances are low that even if the office processed a voter’s request in time, their ballot wouldn’t make it through the mail stream to get to them before the end of election day. That’s why we encourage voters to request an absentee ballot at least seven days before election day.

The maps above provide outlines the deadlines for requesting an absentee ballot in all fifty states, as of October 9, 2020. Check the map to find out what the policy is in your state, however remember to always contact your local election officials with any questions, they know best!