Table 7: When States Mail Out Absentee/Mail Ballots

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Voting Outside the Polling Place Report
This table is part of NCSL’s Voting Outside the Polling Place report.

After a voter has applied for an absentee/mail ballot and that application has been verified, election officials mail out the ballots. In general, states begin mailing absentee/mail ballots during one of four different time frames, as noted below (note that a few states do not specify start dates for mailing ballots).

As absentee ballot applications come in, election officials continue mailing out ballots throughout the run-up to the election, either for a designated period or right up until Election Day.

Ten states begin mailing ballots to voters more than 45 days before the election: Arkansas, Delaware, Kentucky, Minnesota, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Eleven states begin mailing ballots to voters 45 days before the election: Alabama, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia and Wyoming.
Fourteen states begin mailing ballots to voters 30-45 days before the election: Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, South Carolina and Vermont.
Fourteen states begin mailing ballots to voters fewer than 30 days before the election: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Utah and Washington.

Note that in California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Vermont and Washington, all voters are mailed ballots.

The table below shows when election officials can begin mailing out absentee/mail ballots in each state.

When States Mail Out Ballots
State	When Election Officials Can Start Mailing Out Ballots
Alabama	45 days before the election.
Alaska SOS website	25 days before the election.
Arizona A.R.S. § 16-542	24 to 27 days before the election.
Arkansas A.C.A. § 7-5-407	46 days before the election.
California West's Ann.Cal.Elec.Code § 4101	29 days before the election.
Colorado C.R.S.A. § 1-7.5-107	18-22 days before the election.
Connecticut C.G.S.A. § 9-140	31 days before the election.
Delaware 15 Del.C. § 5504	60 days before the election.
District of Columbia	Not specified.
Florida West's F.S.A. § 101.62	33 to 40 days before the election.
Georgia Ga. Code Ann., § 21-2-384	25 to 29 days before the election.
Hawaii HRS § 11-102	The start date is not specified, but ballots must be received by voters at least 18 days before the election.
Idaho I.C. § 34-1003	45 days before the election.
Illinois 10 ILCS 5/19-4	40 days before the election.
Indiana	45 days before the election.
Iowa I.C.A. § 53.8	20 days before the election.
Kansas K.S.A. 25-433	20 days before the election.
Kentucky KRS § 117.085	50 days before the election.
Louisiana LSA-R.S. 18:1308.2	45 days before the election.
Maine 21-A M.R.S.A. § 752	30 days before the election.
Maryland	40 days before the election.
Massachusetts M.G.L.A. 54 § 25B	30 days before the election.
Michigan M.C.L.A. 168.714	45 days before the election.
Minnesota SOS website	46 days before the election.
Mississippi Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-629	40 days before the election.
Missouri V.A.M.S. 115.302	42 days before the election.
Montana MCA 13-13-205	25 days before election.
Nebraska Neb.Rev.St. § 32-808	35 days before the election.
Nevada N.R.S. AB 321, § 3	Not specified.
New Hampshire	30 days before the election.
New Jersey N.J.S.A. 19:62-2	45 days before the election.
New Mexico N. M. S. A. 1978, § 1-6-5	28 days before the election.
New York	32 days before the election.
North Carolina N.C.G.S.A. § 163-227.10	60 days before the election.
North Dakota NDCC, 16.1-07-04	40 days before the election.
Ohio R.C. § 3509.01, 3503.19	29 days before the election.
Oklahoma 26 Okl.St.Ann. § 14-118	45 days before the election.
Oregon O.R.S. § 254.470	20 days before the election.
Pennsylvania 25 P.S. § 3146.2a	50 days before the election.
Puerto Rico 16 L.P.R.A. § Section 9.36.-	Not specified.
Rhode Island Gen.Laws 1956, § 17-20-10.2	45 days before the election.
South Carolina SOS website	30 days before the election.
South Dakota SOS website	46 days before the election.
Tennessee T. C. A. § 2-6-202	90 days before the election.
Texas V.T.C.A., Election Code § 86.004	45 days before the election.
Utah U.C.A. 1953 § 20A-3a-202	21 days before the election.
Vermont 17 VSA § 2537a	43 days before the election.
Virgin Islands 18 V.I.C. § 664	Not specified.
Virginia SOS website	45 days before the election.
Washington West's RCWA 29A.40.070	18 days before the election.
West Virginia W. Va. Code, § 3-3-5(e)(1)	46 days before the election.
Wisconsin W.S.A. 7.15	47 days before the election.
Wyoming W.S.1977 § 22-9-107	45 days before the election.

Note: This page should be used for general informational purposes only.

Our organization does not run elections and cannot provide legal advice. If you are a voter looking for assistance, please contact your local election official. You can find your local election official's website and contact information by using this database from the US Vote Foundation.

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Summary Table 7: When States Mail Out Absentee/Mail Ballots

Note: This page should be used for general informational purposes only.

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