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Mail-in voting is one of the major modern conveniences afforded to US voters, but with Election Day finally upon us, very few states will still let you request a ballot.
Mail-in ballots — known sometimes as “absentee ballots” — are an increasingly common method of voting, since the COVID-19 pandemic spurred far more people than ever before to consider the option. Voting by mail had been steadily increasing for years, but according to the Election Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, it leapt from around 23 million in the 2018 midterms to 43 million during the 2020 presidential race and then dipped to about 32 million in 2022 midterms.
So with millions of US citizens now casting their ballots, read on for a breakdown of which states will still allow you to request a mail ballot. For more about voting, see if there’s still time to register in your state.
Where is it too late to request a ballot?
Not surprisingly, by Election Day the deadline for requesting a mail ballot has passed in almost every state. The following list contains the states where, as of Tuesday, Nov. 5, all deadlines for requesting mail ballots have passed, according to Vote.org:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Montana
- Nebraska
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
One important thing to note about Rhode Island: while Vote.org notes that its deadlines for requesting mail ballots passed three weeks prior to Election Day, the state does allow residents to request an “emergency ballot.” This can be done at a local election office, but only if they find that they will be unable to make it to the polls on Election Day.
Which states still let you request a ballot?
With the general election finally here, only five states might still let you request a mail-in ballot, according to Vote.org.
Maryland: In-person requests can be made as late as Election Day itself.
Mississippi: There are no set deadlines for mail-in and in person requests, but the state strongly recommends no later than Oct. 29 for mail. Mail-in voting here, however, is limited to people with eligible excuses for not voting on Election Day.
Missouri: Requests can be made in person until 5 p.m. the day before Election Day.
New Hampshire: This state has no specific deadline for in-person and mail requests, though only people with an eligible excuse can receive an absentee ballot.
North Dakota: This state has no specific deadline for in-person or mail requests, but the latter must be postmarked by the day before Election Day.
What about all-mail voting states?
Certain states — California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Vermont and Washington — as well as the District of Columbia, have transitioned their elections to an all-mail system. This means that all registered voters are sent ballots in the mail by a certain time, which they can choose to fill out and return or choose to ignore and vote in person. As such, deadlines for requesting ballots in these states are usually not necessary.
If at this stage in the election season you find that you haven’t received a ballot, perhaps because of a change in address, it would be best to call your local elections office to see what options are available to you.
For more about voting by mail, find out how to track your ballot once it’s sent.
