Absentee and Early Voting
Updated November 2009
For information on absentee voting and voter registration in your state, click here.
Introduction
All states offer voters the option of voting prior to the election. In some states, the ballots are returned by mail. This is referred to as absentee voting. Other states permit voters to vote in person at the offices of county clerks or at other satellite voting locations. This is referred to as early voting or in-person absentee voting.
Military Voters
All states permit numbers of the military who are stationed overseas and their dependents to vote absentee. For more information, please visit the Overseas Vote Foundation.
Early Voting
Two-thirds of the states--32, to be exact--offer some sort of early voting. Early voting differs from absentee voting in that voters may visit an election official’s office or, in some states, other satellite voting locations, and cast a vote in person without offering an excuse for not being able to vote on election day. Satellite voting locations vary by state, and may include other county and state offices (besides the election official’s office), grocery stores, shopping malls, schools, libraries, and other locations. Early voting generally is conducted on the same voting equipment used in the regular election, as opposed to absentee voting, which is conducted on mail-in paper ballots. The time period for early voting varies from state to state, but most often it is available during a period of 10-14 days before the election, generally ending on the Friday or Saturday immediately preceding the election.
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Early Voting
(Updated July 9, 2009)
The following states permit no excuse, in-person early voting at election offices and, in some states, other satellite locations. |
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Alaska
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Montana
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Arizona
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Nebraska
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Arkansas
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Nevada
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California
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New Mexico
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Colorado
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North Carolina
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Florida
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North Dakota
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Georgia
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Ohio
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Hawaii
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Oklahoma
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Idaho
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South Dakota |
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Illinois
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Tennessee
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Texas |
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Iowa
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Utah
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Kansas
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Vermont
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Louisiana
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West Virgina
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Maine
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Wisconsin
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Maryland
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Wyoming |
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Absentee Voting
Absentee voting is conducted by mail-in paper ballot prior to the day of the election. While all states offer some version of it, there is quite a lot of variation in states’ procedures for absentee voting. For instance, some states offer "no-excuse" absentee voting, allowing any registered voter to vote absentee without requiring that the voter state a reason for his/her desire to vote absentee. Other states permit voters to vote absentee only under a limited set of circumstances.
The following 29 states offer "no-excuse" absentee voting:
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Alaska
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Iowa
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Ohio
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Arizona
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Kansas
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Oklahoma
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Arkansas
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Maine
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Oregon*
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California
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Montana
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South Dakota
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Colorado
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Nebraska
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Utah
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Florida
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Nevada
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Vermont
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Georgia
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New Jersey
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Washington
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Hawaii
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New Mexico
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Wisconsin
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Idaho
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North Carolina
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Wyoming
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Illinois
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North Dakota
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* Oregon conducts all elections solely by mail ballot.
Premanent No-Excuse Absentee Voting: California, Colorado, Hawaii, Montana and Washington allow permanent no-excuse absentee voting. This enables a voter to request to receive an absentee ballot automatically for all future elections (updated October 8, 2008).
Postage: In most states, the voter must put a stamp on the return envelope for the absentee ballot. At least four states pay the return postage for absentee ballots. Those states are Hawaii, Minnesota, Nevada, and West Virginia.
Witness/Notary Signature: Many states require that an absentee ballot be signed by a witness or a notary public. In these states, ballots that are returned without the required signature are not counted.
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Witness/Notary Signature
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Required
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Not Required
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Alabama
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Arizona
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Alaska
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Arkansas
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Delaware
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California
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Florida
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Colorado
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Georgia*
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Connecticut
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Hawaii*
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District of Columbia
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Louisiana
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Idaho
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Maine
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Illinois
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Michigan*
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Indiana
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Minnesota
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Iowa
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Mississippi
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Kansas
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Missouri
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Kentucky
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Nebraska
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Maryland
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New Jersey
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Massachusetts
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New York*
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Montana
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North Carolina
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Nevada
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North Dakota
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New Hampshire
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Oklahoma
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New Mexico
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Pennsylvania*
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Ohio
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Rhode Island
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Oregon
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South Carolina
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South Dakota
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Tennessee*
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Vermont
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Texas
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Washington
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Utah*
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West Virginia
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Virginia
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Wyoming
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Wisconsin
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* The signature of a witness is required only if the voter was assisted in filling out the absentee ballot.
Receiving and Counting Absentee Ballots: The rules for when absentee ballots must be received, when they are counted, and who counts them also vary from state to state.
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Receiving and Counting Absentee Ballots
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State
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Ballots Due By
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Ballots Counted
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Who Counts Ballots
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Alabama
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Close of polls on election day
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Close of polls
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Pollworkers
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Alaska
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10 days after election (15 days for overseas)
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8pm election day
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Absentee ballot counting board
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Arizona
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7pm election day
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Election day & 5 days beyond
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Central counting
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Arkansas
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7:30pm election day/5pm 10 days after, if postmarked election day
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7:30pm election day
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Absentee election board
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California
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8pm election day
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5pm day before election
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Special counting board
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Colorado
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7pm election day
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10 days prior to election day
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At least 3 county judges
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Connecticut
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8pm election day
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Not before noon on election day
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Absentee ballot counters
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Delaware
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Noon day before election
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Prior to close of polls
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Election judges
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Florida
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7pm election day
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7pm election day
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County canvassing board
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Georgia
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Close of polls
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Close of polls
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Absentee ballot manager
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Hawaii
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Close of polls
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Election day
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Chief election officer
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Idaho
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8pm election day
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Close of polls
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County clerks and election judges
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Illinois
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Close of polls
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Close of polls
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Panel of election judges
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Indiana
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Close of polls
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Election day
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Precinct election or central counting board
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Iowa
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Close of polls/Monday after election if postmarked by election day
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Election day
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Election board
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Kansas
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Close of polls
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Opening of polls
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Special election board
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Kentucky
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Close of polls
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Beginning at 3pm election day
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County board of elections
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Louisiana
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Midnight day before election
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After 1pm and before 8pm election day
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Board of election supervisors
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Maine
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Close of polls
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Close of polls or prior
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Election clerks
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Maryland
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Friday week after election
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10am Thursday after election
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County board
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Massachusetts
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10 days after election
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Election day
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Local election official
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Michigan
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8pm election day
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Close of polls or 7am
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Precinct election or absent voter board
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Minnesota
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Last mail delivery election day
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8pm election day
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Election judges
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Mississippi
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Close of polls
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Precinct election managers
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Missouri
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Close of polls
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Election day
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Election judges, bipartisan teams
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Montana
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Close of polls
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After polls open and before they close
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Absentee ballot counting board
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Nebraska
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10am second day after election
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Time set by county elected officer
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Absent voters counting board
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Nevada
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Close of polls
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Election day
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Absentee ballot counting board
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New Hampshire
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5pm day before election
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Close of polls
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Precinct moderator
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New Jersey
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8pm election day
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Election day
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County board of elections
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New Mexico
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7pm election day
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7pm election day
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Absentee voter precinct board
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New York
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Postmarked day before election
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Close of polls
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Inspector of elections/central counting
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North Carolina
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5pm day before election
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5pm election day
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County board of elections
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North Dakota
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Within 2 days after election
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Close of polls
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Absentee ballot counting board
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Ohio
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Close of polls
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Close of polls
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Special election judges
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Oklahoma
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7pm election day
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7pm election day
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County election board
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Oregon
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8pm election day
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Upon delivery of poll books
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Election official
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Pennsylvania
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5pm Friday before election
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Close of polls
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Precinct election board
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Rhode Island
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9pm election day
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9pm election day
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State board of elections
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South Carolina
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Close of polls
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7pm election day
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Absentee poll managers
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South Dakota
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Close of polls
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Close of polls
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Absentee BIT Board/precinct canvass board
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Tennessee
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Close of polls
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Opening of polls
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Central absentee ballot counting board
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Texas
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Before close of polls
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Election day
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Early voting ballot board
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Utah
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Noon Monday following election
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Election day or Monday after election
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Election judges
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Vermont
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Close of polls
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Close of polls
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Bipartisan election judges
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Virginia
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Close of polls
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Close of polls
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Election official/central count
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Washington
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10 days after election
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8pm election day and prior to certification
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Canvassing board
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West Virginia
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Close of polls
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Close of polls
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Precinct election commissioners
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Wisconsin
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Close of polls
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Between open and close of polls
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Ward election inspectors
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Wyoming
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7pm election day
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Close of polls
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County clerk or 3 election judges
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Note: Data in this chart was compiled from the web site of the Federal Elections Commission on August 18, 2004.
For More Information
Other sources of information on absentee and early voting include the following:
Election Assistance Commission
Federal Voting Assistance Program (for military and overseas voters)
Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (text of federal law)
Federal Post Card Application (for registration and absentee ballot request)
For more information on absentee voting, contact NCSL staff Jennie Drage Bowser or Tim Storey or 303-364-7700.
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