Voting & Democracy
Mail Ballots & Early Voting In Person
About This Principle of Democracy
In 2020, for the first time ever, more people used mail ballots or early in-person voting than filled out a ballot at the polls on Election Day.
When asked why they chose these methods, the majority cited convenience and familiarity rather than COVID as the reason; with most stating that they would vote the same way in the next election.
As more voters choose to vote early, states should continue to expand and improve both options.
![image of graph - title is '% Voting Early: 1996-2020' and has the following data: 1996: 11% | 2000: 14% | 2004: 21% | 2008: 31% | 2012: 33% | 2016: 40% | 2020: 70%](https://gpillsbury.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Rise-in-Early-Voting-300x191.jpg")
Mail Ballots (aka Absentee Ballots)
Mail ballots are still known in half the states as absentee ballots. Mail ballots started in the Civil War to accommodate soldiers absent from their voting location. More recently, as some states began sending all voters their ballot ahead of the election, it began to be known as vote-by-mail. Today, since most states have dropped the requirement to be absent to use this form of voting, and more voters using mail ballots don’t actually return them mail, but rather use a drop box or vote center, mail ballots has become the more common name for any ballot not accessed in-person at a poll or early voting site.
How It Works
In 2020 there were four main ways that states provided access to a mail ballot. The first three didn’t require voters to have an excuse to use one.
- Sent a mail ballot to all registered voters in advance of the election, with multiple options to return their ballot at a drop box, poll or vote center, or by mail. (10 states)
- Sent an application for a mail ballot to all registered voters. (12 states)
- Voters got their application and returned it on their own online, at their election office, or by other means. (20 states)
- Voters needed an excuse or special permission to apply for a mail ballot. (8 states)
A Nonprofit VOTE analysis found that the “excuse” states had by far the lowest use of mail ballots and that average voter turnout in those states was eight points below those states without restrictions.
Other voter-friendly policies used for mail ballots are ballot tracking tools that track your ballot from when it was received to when it was counted or free postage to return your ballot by mail.
Benefits
- Voters have more time to learn what’s on the ballot and consider their choices.
- Voters become better informed on “down ballot” races, such as contests for the state legislature, county offices, or ballot measures that don’t have the same visibility of a race like president, governor, or Congress.
- Mail ballots offer the convenient options of returning your ballot at a nearby drop box, poll or vote center, or by mail.
View map of states mail ballot methods used in the 2020 election.
Resources
- Background from the Vote at Home Institute
- Evidence that voters using a mail ballot are more likely to vote in down ballot races. William Marble
- Effect on turnout of sending every voter a mail ballot. Alan S. Gerber, et al
Early Voting In Person
How It Works
States and their jurisdictions vary on the number of days of the week, hours, and locations offered. A jurisdiction can begin early voting for walk-ins as soon as the official ballots are available.
Beyond the early walk-ins, it’s good practice to offer early voting in person at least10-14 days before Election Day, including times on two weekends, with locations sited as equitably and accessibly as possible for all the state’s voting populations.
Benefits
- It’s a good option for any voter wanting to avoid the risk of a health, family, work or transportation problem that might happen on Election Day. Many voters have made early voting in person a tradition.
- It benefits voters who prefer to vote early with an election official and the same voting equipment used at the polls.
- It reduces lines for voters and overload for election officials on Election Day.
View map of states with early voting in person.
Resources
- State policies on locations, hours and days. National Conference of State Legislatures
Drop Boxes
More than 35 states used drop boxes in the 2020 election. They have proven to be a secure and convenient way to deliver your mail ballot to an election office before Election Day - popular with both voters and election officials.
How It Works
Drop boxes are a secure, locked structure operated by election officials where voters may drop off their signed ballots in sealed envelopes leading up to Election Day. They are sited in convenient, accessible locations in or near public buildings, shopping areas, or college campuses, and the like. Staffed drop boxes are typically available during regular business hours and monitored by trained workers. Unstaffed drop boxes are monitored by cameras, are typically available 24 hours a day, and are permanently anchored in place.
Benefits
- A good option, if you are not sure the post office will deliver it to the election office on time. They give the voter more confidence that their ballot will be processed and counted.
- Eliminates the risk that a ballot returned by mail could be misplaced or delayed.
- Election offices get them sooner with more time to prepare them to be counted.