Table 8: How States Verify Absentee Ballot Applications

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

Absentee/mail ballot applications require voters to provide identifying information—name, address, date of birth and often a signature, driver’s license number or the final four digits of the voter’s social security number.

When election officials receive an application from a voter, they use that information to verify the voter’s identity and eligibility before sending out the ballot. This is done in a variety of ways, but most commonly by verifying the applicant’s information in the statewide voter registration database. States may also conduct signature verification at this stage to compare the voter’s signature on the application with the voter registration signature. This verification step is meant to ensure that it is in fact the voter who is requesting the absentee/mail ballot.

A few states may require additional information at the time of application, such as a copy of ID or notary signature, to confirm the voter’s identity and eligibility. Fifteen states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands also require voters to provide an excuse to qualify for an absentee/mail ballot. For more information on eligible excuses, see Table 2: Excuses to Vote Absentee.

How States Verify Absentee Ballot Applications
State	What Additional Information Must Voters Provide?	How Is the Application Verified?
Alabama Ala. Code § 17-11-5	Excuse and copy of ID.	Information and eligibility checked against voter registration.
Alaska Alaska Stat. § 15.20.081	None.	None; ballot issued upon receipt of application.
Arizona Ariz. Rev Stat § 16-550	None.	Information and eligibility checked against voter registration record.
Arkansas Ark. Code § 7-5-404	Excuse.	Signature, information and eligibility checked against voter registration record.
California	N/A	N/A
Colorado	N/A	N/A
Connecticut Conn. Gen Stat § 9-140	Excuse.	Information and eligibility checked against voter registration.
Delaware 15 DE Code § 5504	Excuse.	Information and eligibility checked against voter registration.
District of Columbia D.C. Mun. Regs. Tit. 3, § 720.5	None.	None; ballot issued upon receipt of application.
Florida Flor. Stat §101.62	None.	Information and eligibility checked against voter registration.
Georgia Ga. Code Ann., § 21-2-381	None.	Information and eligibility checked against voter registration record.
Hawaii	N/A	N/A
Idaho Idaho Code § 34-1003	None.	Information and eligibility checked against voter registration record.
Illinois 10 ILCS 5/19-4	None.	Signature, information and eligibility checked against voter registration record.
Indiana Ind. Code § 3-11-4-17.5	Excuse	Signature, information and eligibility checked against voter registration record.
Iowa I.C.A. § 53.2	N/A	Signature, information and eligibility checked against voter registration.
Kansas Kan. Stat. Ann. § 25-1122	None.	Signature, information and eligibility checked against voter registration record.
Kentucky KRS § 117.085	Excuse and copy of ID.	Information and eligibility checked against voter registration.
Louisiana LSA-R.S. 18:1307	Excuse.	Information and eligibility checked against voter registration and documentation provided by the applicant as to the reason for the request.
Maine 21-A ME Rev Stat § 753-B	None.	Information and eligibility checked against voter registration.
Maryland Md. Elec Law Code § 9-306	None.	Information and eligibility checked against voter registration.
Massachusetts Mass. Gen L ch 54 § 91	None.	Signature, information and eligibility checked against voter registration record.
Michigan Mich. Comp L § 168.761	None.	Signature, information and eligibility checked against voter registration record.
Minnesota Minn. Stat § 203B.06	None.	Information and eligibility checked against voter registration.
Mississippi Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-715	Excuse and notarized application (only a witness signature is needed if the voter is temporarily or permanently disabled).	Notarized application taken as proof of voter’s identity.
Missouri Missouri Rev Stat § 115.287	Excuse.	Information and eligibility checked against voter registration.
Montana Mont. Code § 13-13-213	None.	Signature, information and eligibility checked against voter registration record.
Nebraska Neb. Rev. Stat. Ann. §32-947	None.	Information and eligibility checked against voter registration.
Nevada	N/A	N/A
New Hampshire N.H. Rev. Stat. § 657:12	Excuse.	Information and eligibility checked against voter registration record.
New Jersey NJ Rev Stat § 19:63-8	None.	Signature, information and eligibility checked against voter registration record.
New Mexico NM Stat § 1-6-5	None.	Information and eligibility checked against voter registration.
New York NY Election Law § 8-402(1)	Excuse.	Information and eligibility checked against voter registration.
North Carolina NC Gen Stat § 163-230.2	None.	Information and eligibility checked against voter registration.
North Dakota ND Cent. Code 16.1-07-08	None.	None; ballot issued upon receipt of application.
Ohio Ohio Rev Code § 3509.04	None.	Information and eligibility checked against voter registration.
Oklahoma 26 OK Stat § 26-14-106	None.	Information and eligibility checked against voter registration.
Oregon	N/A	N/A
Pennsylvania 25 PA Cons Stat § 3146.2b	None.	Information and eligibility checked against voter registration record.
Puerto Rico 16 L.P.R.A. § Section 9.35.-	Excuse.	Information and eligibility checked against voter registration.
Rhode Island Gen. Laws § 17-20-10	None.	Signature, information and eligibility checked against voter registration record.
South Carolina S.C. Code § 7-15-340	Excuse and signed oath.	Signed oath taken as proof of voter’s identity. Any person who fraudulently applies for an absentee ballot is guilty of a misdemeanor.
South Dakota SD Codified Law § 12-19-2 et seq.	Signed and notarized oath or copy of photo ID.	Information and eligibility checked against voter registration.
Tennessee Tenn. Code Ann. § 2-6-202	Excuse.	Signature, information and eligibility checked against voter registration record.
Texas Texas Elec. Code § 86.001	Excuse.	Information and eligibility checked against voter registration.
Utah	N/A	N/A
Vermont	N/A	N/A
Virgin Islands 18 V.I.C. § 664	Excuse.	Information and eligibility checked against voter registration.
Virginia VA Code § 24.2-706	None.	Information and eligibility checked against voter registration.
Washington	N/A	N/A
West Virginia W. Va. § 3-3-5	Excuse.	Information and eligibility checked against voter registration.
Wisconsin Wis. Stat. § 6.87(1)	Copy of ID.	Ballot application information verified with enclosed ID.
Wyoming WY Stat § 22-9-106	None.	Information and eligibility checked against voter registration.

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 8: How States Verify Absentee Ballot Applications

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

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