It's best to double check with your state for any recent changes to election rules in your state.
Military and Overseas voters should visit the Overseas Vote Foundation. Vote.org's information should only be used by voters with US mailing addresses.
What is Absentee Voting?
Absentee voting (aka “mail-in voting” and “by-mail voting”) is conducted by mail-in ballot before the day of Election Day. All states will mail a ballot to voters if certain conditions are met. The voter may return the ballot in person or by mail. Some states will let voters apply for an absentee ballot in person before Election Day and then vote the ballot that same day.
Excuse: Voters in these states will need to provide a valid excuse for not voting on Election Day in order to vote by absentee ballot.
No excuse: Any voter in these states can vote by absentee ballot, even if they are able to vote in person on Election Day.
Mail-in Only: Voters in these states only need to request an absentee ballot if they need their ballot mailed to a different address.
Pick your state from the list below to learn more about the absentee rules in your state.
Alabama absentee ballot rules
You need to include a copy of your ID with this form. Check our Voter ID Laws page for a list of acceptable forms of ID
No absentee ballot application may be mailed in the same envelope as another voter's absentee ballot application.
You will be absent from the county on Election Day.
You are ill or have a physical disability that prevents a trip to the polling place.
You are a registered Alabama voter who is temporarily living outside the county (such as a member of the armed forces, a voter employed outside of the United States, a college student, or a spouse or child of such a person).
You are an appointed election officer or poll watcher at a polling place other than your regular polling place.
You work a required shift - 10 hours or more - that coincides with polling hours.
You are a caregiver for a family member who is confined to the home.
You are incarcerated but otherwise eligible to vote.
All voters in Arkansas may vote by mail using an absentee ballot if they have health concerns due to COVID-19, according to a statement by the Governor.
You may vote by absentee ballot in Arkansas if:
You will be unavoidably absent from your polling site on Election Day.
You will be unable to attend your polling site on Election Day due to illness or physical disability.
You are a member of the U.S. armed forces, merchant marines or the spouse or a dependent family member.
You are a U.S. citizen whose permanent residence is in Arkansas but who is temporarily living outside the United States.
The dates and deadlines listed below are not applicable for the November 2020 general election. All voters who register in California by October 19, 2020 will automatically receive a mail-in ballot for the November Election by executive order.
News Releases, Office of Public Affairs, California Department of Public Health
Any registered California voter may apply for an absentee ballot and vote by mail.
Absentee ballots will automatically be sent to all registered voters. If you need your ballot sent somewhere other than your usual address, contact your local election official at least one month before the election so you have time to receive the ballot.
Any person who will distribute five (5) or more absentee ballot applications to persons other than the individual's immediate family must register with and obtain forms from the Town Clerk of the municipality where such forms will be distributed before distributing such forms.
COVID-19 info
According to a July Special Session Act (and Secretary of State guidance), all voters are now eligible to vote by absentee ballot in Connecticut due to the pandemic. Voters will need to check the COVID-19 box on the application.
You may vote by absentee ballot in Connecticut if:
You will be absent from town during all the hours of voting
You have an illness which prevents you from voting in person
You have a physical disability which prevents you from voting in person
You are on active duty within the US military
Your religious tenets forbid secular (non-religious) activity on Election Day
You are required to perform of duties as a primary, referendum, or election official at a polling place other than your own during all the hours of voting on Election Day
Some counties will let you order your absentee ballot online. Please check with your Supervisor of Elections to see if this is possible in your county.
COVID-19 info
As a reminder, voters may designate someone else to pick up their ballot for them. Refer to the Florida Department of Elections website for instructions on how to complete this process.
Absentee ballots will automatically be sent to all registered voters. If you need your ballot sent somewhere other than your usual address, contact your local election official at least one month before the election so you have time to receive the ballot.
You have a specific, reasonable expectation that you will be absent from the county on Election Day during the entire 12 hours that the polls are open (6am until 6pm).
You have a disability.
You are at least 65 years of age.
You will have official election duties outside of your voting precinct.
You are scheduled to work at your regular place of employment during the entire 12 hours that the polls are open.
You will be confined due to illness or injury or you will be caring for an individual confined due to illness or injury during the entire 12 hours that the polls are open.
You are prevented from voting because of a religious discipline or religious holiday during the entire 12 hours that the polls are open.
You are a participant in the state's address confidentiality program.
You are a serious sex offender as defined in Indiana Code 35-42-4-14(a).
You are a member of the military or a public safety officer.
You are prevented from voting due to the unavailability of transportation to the polls.
You are eligible under the relevant provisions of state law to vote at your place of previous registration.
You must provide your current Kansas driver's license number on your absentee ballot application. If you can't, then you'll need to include a photocopy of another photo ID. Check our Voter ID Laws page for a list of acceptable forms of ID
COVID-19, Department for Public Health, Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Human Services
You may vote by absentee ballot by mail in Kentucky if:
you are advanced in age, disabled, or ill
you are a military personnel or their dependent, or an overseas citizen
you are a student who temporarily resides outside the county
you are a voter who temporarily resides outside of Kentucky and who maintains eligibility to vote in Kentucky, such as a "snowbird"
you are incarcerated, but not yet convicted of a crime
you are employed outside of the county all hours the polling place is open
you are a program participant in the Department of State's Address Confidentiality Program
You can vote by absentee ballot in person in Kentucky if:
you will be out of the county on election day
you are advanced in age, disabled, or ill
you are a military personnel, their dependent, or an overseas citizen
you are a military personnel confined to base and learn of your confinement within seven days or less of an election
you are a student or resident who temporarily resides outside of the county
you are a voter or the spouse of a voter who has surgery scheduled that will require hospitalization on Election Day
you are a pregnant woman in third trimester
you are a precinct election officer appointed to serve in precinct other than his own, an alternate precinct election officer, County Board of Elections’ members or staff, Deputy county clerk, or State Board of Elections’ staff
If you registered to vote by mail, you must vote in person the first time you vote. This rule does not apply if you are a military or overseas voter; a senior citizen or a disabled voter; a participant in the state's address confidentiality program; or student who included a copy of your student ID or tuition bill with your voter registration form; or if you visited your registrar of voters in-person after registering to vote.
you are a student or teacher located and living outside of your parish of registration, or the spouse/dependent thereof;
you are 65 years of age or older;
you are a minister, priest, rabbi, or other member of the clergy assigned outside of your parish of registration, or the spouse/dependent thereof;
you are or expect to be temporarily outside the territorial limits of the state or absent from your parish of registration during the early voting period and on Election Day;
you moved your residence to another parish more than 100 miles from the parish seat of your former residence after the voter registration books closed (the books close 30 days prior to Election Day);
you are involuntarily confined in an institution for mental treatment outside your parish of registration and you are not interdicted and not judicially declared incompetent;
you expect to be hospitalized on Election Day and did not have knowledge until after the time for early voting had expired; you were hospitalized during the time for early voting and you expect to be hospitalized on Election Day; or you were either hospitalized or restricted to bed by your physician during early voting and on Election Day;
you work or expect to be offshore working and expect to be out of your precinct of registration both during the early voting period and on Election Day because of your employment or occupation;
you are incarcerated in an institution inside or outside of your parish of registration and you are not serving time for a felony conviction;
you are a program participant in the Department of State's Address Confidentiality Program;
you will be sequestered on the day of Election Day; or
you are the secretary of state, an employee of the secretary of state, or an employee of the registrar of voters.
Due to COVID19, there is no witness requirement for registered voters for the November 3, 2020 State General Election. Non-registered voters will still need a witness, to indicate their proof of residence.
You may vote by absentee ballot in Mississippi if:
you will be away from your county on Election Day for any reason;
you are a student, teacher, or administrator at a school whose studies or employment there necessitates your absence from your county on Election Day; or you are the spouse or dependent thereof;
you have a temporary or permanent physical disability that renders you unable to vote in person without substantial hardship;
you are the parent, spouse, or dependent of a person with a temporary or permanent physical disability who is hospitalized outside of their county of residence or more than fifty (50) miles away, and you (the parent, spouse or dependent) will be with that person on Election Day;
you are sixty-five (65) years of age or older;
you will be unable to vote in person because you are required to be at work on Election Day during the times at which the polls will be open;
you are a member, spouse, or dependent of the congressional delegation;
you are a disabled war veteran (or spouse or dependant of such a person) in a hospital;
you are a member (or spouse or dependant of such a person) of the Merchant Marine or American Red Cross.
For all 2020 elections, any registered Missouri voter can apply for a mail-in ballot and vote by mail. Note: Missouri mail-in ballot voters will be required to submit a notarized statement with their ballot; however in two instances, a voter may cast a mail-in ballot without notarization.*
For mail-in ballot applications where the individual is a new resident, intrastate new resident, or interstate former resident, the application must be signed in the presence of a notary.
COVID-19 Outbreak, Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services
*The two reasons are:
Incapacity or confinement due to illness or physical disability, including caring for a person who is incapacitated or confined due to illness of disability.
A voter has contracted or is in an at-risk category for contracting or transmitting COVID-19, pursuant to Section 115.277.6 RSMo.
At risk voters are individuals who:
Are 65 years of age or older
Have serious heart conditions
Are immunocompromised
Have liver disease
Live in a long term care facility licensed under Chapter 188, RSMo.
Have chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma
Have chronic kidney disease and are undergoing dialysis
you will be absent from your voting jurisdiction on Election Day
you are incapacitated or confined due to illness or physical disability, or primarily responsible for caring for a person who is incapacitated or confined due to illness or disability
you are restricted by religious belief or practice
you are employed as or by an Election Day authority at a location other than your polling place
you are incarcerated, but have retained all your voting qualifications
you are a program participant in the Department of State's Address Confidentiality Program
For an election that occurs during the year 2020, you have contracted or are in an at-risk category for contracting or transmitting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (COVID-19).
At-risk voters are individuals who:
Are 65 years of age or older
Have serious heart conditions
Are immunocompromised
Have liver disease
Live in a long term care facility licensed under Chapter 188, RSMo.
Have chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma
Have chronic kidney disease and are undergoing dialysis
Due to the Governor’s Directive, the deadline for regular registration for the 2020 Federal General Election on November 3, 2020, has been moved to October 26, 2020. If you miss that deadline, you can still register and vote in the election by late registering at your county election office or designated location.
The dates and deadlines listed below are not applicable for the November 2020 general election. All voters who register in Nevada by October 6 will automatically receive a mail-in ballot for the November Election.
You may vote by absentee ballot in New Hampshire if:
you will be absent on the day of any state election from the county, city, or town in which you are registered to vote
you are unable appear in public on Election Day because of your observance of a religious commitment
you are unable to vote in person by reason of physical disability
you are unable to vote in person by reason of military service
you are unable to appear at any time during polling hours at your polling place because an employment obligation (including the care of children or infirm adults, with or without compensation) requires you to remain physically at work or to be in transit to or from work from the time the polls open until after the time the polls close
You may vote by absentee ballot in New York if you expect to be:
Absent from your county or, if a resident of New York City, absent from New York City, on Election Day
Unable to appear at the polls due to illness or physical disability or because you are the primary care giver of one or more individuals who are ill or physically disabled
A resident or patient of a Veterans Health Administration Hospital
Detained in jail awaiting Grand Jury action or confined in prison after conviction for an offense other than a felony.
You must put your NC driver's license number or your social security number on this application. If you can't, then you'll need to include a photo copy of your ID.
Check our Voter ID Laws page for a list of acceptable forms of ID. When you get your absentee ballot, you'll need to fill it out in the presence of a notary or two witnesses, who will have to sign the ballot.
You must put your OH driver's license number or the last four digits of your Social Security number on this form. If you don't have one of these numbers then you'll need to include a photocopy of your ID with this form. Check our Voter ID Laws page for a list of acceptable forms of ID.
Unless you are physically incapacitated or caring for a person who is incapacitated, you must have your absentee ballot affidavit notarized. (Note: Oklahoma limits the number of absentee ballot affidavits a single notary can sign to no more than 20 without special authorization.)
COVID-19 info
An extended emergency declaration from Governor Kevin Stitt will mean that Oklahoma voters will be able to cast mail-in absentee ballots without the notary requirement for the November general election. Instead, voters will have the option to submit a copy of a valid photo ID. Learn more here.
Absentee ballots will automatically be sent to all registered voters. If you need your ballot sent somewhere other than your usual address, contact your local election official at least one month before the election so you have time to receive the ballot.
You must provide your PA driver's license number or the last four digits of your Social Security number on your absentee ballot form. If you don't have either number, you'll need to include a photocopy of your ID. Check our Voter ID Laws page for a list of acceptable forms of ID.
For the 2020 general election, all registered voters are allowed to apply for and cast an absentee ballot. For elections after 2020, you may vote by absentee ballot in South Carolina if you will be away from the county of your residence on Election Day AND one of the following:
you are a student away at college (or a spouse or dependent residing with the student);
you are serving with the American Red Cross or with the United Service Organization (USO) and are attached to and serving with the Armed Forces (or a spouse or dependent residing with such a person);
you are a government employee (or a spouse or dependent residing with such a person);
you are on vacation;
you live overseas.
You may vote by absentee ballot in South Carolina whether or not you will be away from the county of your residence if:
you are physically disabled;
your job prevents you from voting;
you are a certified poll watcher, poll manager, or county election official and you will be working on Election Day;
you are attending to sick or physically disabled persons;
you have been admitted to the hospital as an emergency patient on day of election or at least four days prior to Election Day;
there has been a death or funeral in your family within three days before Election Day;
you are on jury duty in state or federal court on Election Day;
you are 65 or older;
you are confined to a jail or pre-trial facility pending disposition of arrest or trial;
you are a member of the Armed Forces or Merchant Marines (or a spouse or dependent residing with such a person).
You must send a copy your South Dakota photo ID with your absentee ballot application. Check our Voter ID Laws page for a list of acceptable forms of ID. If you can't get a copy of an acceptable form of photo ID, then you must have your absentee ballot application signed and notarized by an authorized witness.
If a registered Tennessee voter has underlying medical or health conditions which in their determination render them more susceptible to contracting COVID-19 or at greater risk should they contract it, the voter can apply for an absentee ballot by mail and vote by mail.
You may vote by absentee ballot in Tennessee if:
you will be outside the county of registration during the early voting period and all day on Election Day;
you or your spouse are enrolled as a full-time student in an accredited college or university but outside the county of registration;
you will be unable to vote in person due to service as a juror for a federal or state court;
you are sixty (60) years of age or older;
you have a physical disability and an inaccessible polling place;
you are hospitalized, ill, or physically disabled and because of such condition, cannot vote in person;
you are the caretaker of a person who is hospitalized, ill, or disabled;
you are a candidate for office in the election;
you serve as an Election Day official or as a member or employee of Election Day commission;
you will be observing a religious holiday which prevents you from voting in person during the early voting period and on Election Day;
you or your spouse possess a valid commercial drivers license (CDL) or Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) and you certify that you will be working outside the state or county of registration during the early voting period and all day on Election Day-;
you are a member of the military or an overseas citizen;
a licensed physician has filed a statement with the county election commission stating that, in the physician's judgment, you are medically unable to vote in person. The statement must be filed not less than five (5) days before Election Day and signed under the penalty of perjury;
you reside in a licensed facility providing relatively permanent domiciliary care, other than a penal institution, outside the voter's county of residence.
If you are one of the last two, you can apply to be a permanent absentee voter.
If you are a first-time voter and you did not provide either your Texas drivers license number or Social Security number on your voter registration form, you need to include a copy of photo ID with your application (disabled persons are exempt). Check our Voter ID Laws page for a list of acceptable forms of ID
COVID-19 info
Early voting for the general election has been extended. It will begin on Oct. 13 and run through Oct. 30.
Absentee ballots will automatically be sent to all registered voters. If you need your ballot sent somewhere other than your usual address, contact your local election official at least one month before the election so you have time to receive the ballot.
If you registered to vote by mail, you must vote in person the first time you vote unless you are a full-time college student; an active duty military or overseas voter; a physically handicapped individuals; or 65 or older. If you registered to vote in person, you may vote by absentee ballot the first time you vote, but you have to wait 5 days after registering to vote before you can request an absentee ballot.
Absentee ballots will automatically be sent to all registered voters. If you need your ballot sent somewhere other than your usual address, request an absentee ballot.
All West Virginia voters will be able to cite concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic as reason to request an absentee ballot for the November general election, according to Secretary of State Mac Warner.
All registered West Virginia voters may vote by absentee ballot in person during the period of early voting.
You may vote by absentee ballot by mail in West Virginia if:
you will be absent from the county during both the early voting period and Election Day because of personal or business travel or attendance at a college, university or other place of education or training;
employment that makes voting in person impossible because of the hours worked and distance from the county seat
you are confined to a specific location and prevented from voting in person due to an illness, injury, other medical reason, physical disability, or advanced age;
you are incarcerated or detained in jail or a home on Election Day, but not under conviction of any felony, of treason, or of bribery (including any period of probation or parole);
you are a participant in the Address Confidentiality Program (ACP) with the Office of the Secretary of State;
the county absentee voting office and your polling place are inaccessible to to you due to your physical disability.
You must include a copy of your ID with this form unless you are living in a nursing home or care facility, indefinitely confined, a disabled citizen, a military voter, or an overseas voter. Check our Voter ID Laws page for a list of acceptable forms of ID.
Any registered Wisconsin voter may apply for an absentee ballot and vote by mail.
When voting by mail, you must submit a copy of a valid photo ID with your vote by mail application (unless a copy of your ID is already on file). A list of valid IDs is available below.