Nationwide Absentee Ballot Voting Rules
Which states allow for absentee voting?
Return your ballot as soon as possible.
The USPS recommends mailing your ballot at least 7 days before Election Day. If you want to ensure your ballot is postmarked the same day it is received by USPS, go to your local post office and ask for a manual postmark.
Alabama
Voters must provide an approved excuse to vote absentee in Alabama. You can vote absentee if you:
- Expect to be absent from the county or the state on Election Day
- Are ill or have a physical disability that prevents a trip to the polling place
- Are physically incapacitated AND have a disability or are 65 or older, and will not be able to vote in person on Election Day
- Are a registered Alabama voter living outside the county, such as a member of the armed forces, a voter employed outside the United States, a college student, or a spouse or child of such a person
- Are working as an appointed election officer or poll watcher at a polling place other than your regular polling place
- Will be working a required shift, 10 hours or more, that coincides with polling hours
- Are serving as a caregiver for a family member
- Are currently incarcerated in prison or jail and have not been convicted of a felony involving moral turpitude
Learn more about who is eligibile to vote absentee at Alabama's page.
Alaska
Eligible voters do not need an excuse to vote absentee in Alaska.
Arizona
Eligible voters do not need an excuse to vote by mail in Arizona.
Arkansas
Voters must provide an approved excuse to vote absentee in Arkansas. You can vote absentee if you:
- Will be unavoidably absent from your polling site on election day
- Will be unable to attend your polling site on election day due to illness or physical disability
- Are a member of the Uniformed Services, merchant marines or the spouse or a dependent family member and are away from your polling location due to the member’s active duty status
- Are a U.S. citizen whose residence is in Arkansas but is temporarily living outside the territorial limits of the United States
Learn more about who is eligibile to vote absentee at Arkansas's page.
California
All registered voters in California are mailed a ballot.
Contact your local election official if you do not receive a ballot .
Colorado
All registered voters in Colorado are mailed a ballot.
Contact your local election official if you do not receive a ballot .
Connecticut
Voters must provide an approved excuse to vote absentee in Connecticut. You can vote absentee if you:
- Are an active member of the armed forces of the United States
- Will be out of town on Election Day
- Have a sickness which prevents you from voting in person on Election Day
- Have religious beliefs that prevent you from performing secular activities like voting on Election Day
- Will be performing duties as an election official at a polling place other than your own on Election Day
- Have a physical disability which prevents you from voting in person on Election Day
Learn more about who is eligibile to vote absentee at Connecticut's page.
Delaware
Voters must provide an approved excuse to vote absentee in Delaware. You can vote absentee if you:
- Are in the public service of the United States or the State of Delaware and are unable to come to the polls, or are a spouse or dependent who resides with someone in the public service of the US or Delaware and can't come to the polls
- Have a job that prevents you from coming to the polls, such as providing care to a parent, spouse or child who is living at home and requires constant care, or being a student
- Are incarcerated but otherwise eligible
- Are sick or physically disabled, either temporarily or permanently
- Will be on vacation
- Have a religious reason for being absented from the polls
- Are otherwise authorized to vote absentee by the Federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act or other federal law
Learn more about who is eligibile to vote absentee at Delaware's page.
District of Columbia
All registered voters in District of Columbia are mailed a ballot.
Contact your local election official if you do not receive a ballot .
Florida
Eligible voters do not need an excuse to vote by mail in Florida.
Georgia
Eligible voters do not need an excuse to vote absentee in Georgia.
Hawaii
All registered voters in Hawaii are mailed a ballot.
Contact your local election official if you do not receive a ballot .
Idaho
Eligible voters do not need an excuse to vote absentee in Idaho.
Illinois
Eligible voters do not need an excuse to vote by mail in Illinois.
Indiana
Voters must provide an approved excuse to vote absentee in Indiana. You can vote absentee if you:
- Have a specific, reasonable expectation that you will be absent from the county on Election Day during the entire 12 hours that the polls are open (6:00am until 6:00pm)
- Have a disability
- Are at least 65 years of age
- Will have official election duties outside of your voting precinct
- Are scheduled to work at your regular place of employment during the entire 12 hours that the polls are open
- Will be confined due to illness or injury or you will be caring for an individual confined due to illness or injury during the entire 12 hours that the polls are open
- Are prevented from voting because of your religion or a religious holiday during the entire 12 hours that the polls are open
- Are a participant in the state's address confidentiality program
- Are a member of the military or a public safety officer
- Are a "serious sex offender"
- Are prevented from voting due to the unavailability of transportation to the polls
Learn more about who is eligibile to vote absentee at Indiana's page.
Iowa
Eligible voters do not need an excuse to vote absentee in Iowa.
Kansas
Eligible voters do not need an excuse to vote by mail in Kansas.
Kentucky
Voters must provide an approved excuse to vote absentee in Kentucky. You can vote absentee if you:
- Will be absent from the county on all days of in-person absentee voting and on election day
- Are a participant in the Secretary of State's crime victim address confidentiality protection program
- Cannot go to the polls on Election Day or during in-person absentee voting due to age, disability, or illness
- Are a member of the Armed Forces or a dependent who will be out of the county on election day
- Are residing overseas (temporarily or permanently)
- Are a student who temporarily resides outside the county where you are registered to vote
- Incarcerated in jail and have been charged but not convicted
- Have moved, or are moving, to a different state while the new state's registration books are closed before a Presidential Election
- Are temporarily residing outside the state but are still eligible to vote in this state (this includes vacationers)
Learn more about who is eligibile to vote absentee at Kentucky's page.
Louisiana
Voters must provide an approved excuse to vote absentee in Louisiana. You can vote absentee if you:
- Are a Senior Citizen, 65 years of age or older
- Are or expect to be temporarily outside of Louisiana or your parish during the early voting period and on election day
- Work or expect to be offshore during the early voting period and on election day
- Are a student, instructor, or professor, or their spouse or dependent, located and living outside of your parish of registration
- Are a minister, priest, rabbi, or other member of the clergy, or their spouse or dependent, assigned outside of your parish of registration
- Moved more than 100 miles from the parish seat of your former residence after the voter registration deadline
- Are involuntarily confined in an institution for mental treatment outside of your parish of registration and have not been judicially declared incompetent
- Are prohibited to getting to the polls because you are or expect to be hospitalized during the early voting period and/or on election day
- Are incarcerated or expect to be incarcerated and are not under an order of imprisonment for conviction of a felony
- Are a program participant in the secretary of state's Address Confidentiality Program
- Are a juror and will be sequestered on the day of the election
- Are physically disabled (you will be required to provide proof of disability)
- Are homebound and cannot vote without assistance
Learn more about who is eligibile to vote absentee at Louisiana's page.
Maine
Eligible voters do not need an excuse to vote absentee in Maine.
Maryland
Eligible voters do not need an excuse to vote by mail in Maryland.
Massachusetts
Eligible voters do not need an excuse to vote by mail in Massachusetts.
Michigan
Eligible voters do not need an excuse to vote absentee in Michigan.
Minnesota
Eligible voters do not need an excuse to vote absentee in Minnesota.
Mississippi
Voters must provide an approved excuse to vote absentee in Mississippi. You can vote absentee if you:
- Are a student, teacher or administrator at any college, university, junior college, high, junior high, or elementary grade school, or are the spouse or dependent, and will be out of the county of your voting residence
- Are a member or employee of the Mississippi congressional delegation or the spouse and dependent of such person and will be away from your county of voting residence
- Will be away from your county of residence on election day for any reason
- Have a temporary or permanent physical disability and are unable to vote in person without substantial hardship to yourself or others, or going to the polls could reasonably cause danger to yourself or others
- Are the parent, spouse or dependent of a person with a temporary or permanent physical disability who is hospitalized outside of their county of residence or more than fifty (50) miles distant from their residence and will be with this person on election day
- Are sixty-five (65) years of age or older
- Are unable to vote in person because you are required to be at work on election day during the times at which the polls will be open
Learn more about who is eligibile to vote absentee at Mississippi's page.
Missouri
Voters must provide an approved excuse to vote absentee in Missouri. You can vote absentee if you:
- Will be absent on Election Day from the jurisdiction where you are registered to vote
- Are incapacitated or confined due to illness or physical disability on election day, or are a person who is primarily responsible for and resides at the same address as the person who is incapacitated or confined
- Are prevented from coming to the polls due to religious belief or practice
- Are employed as or by an election authority at a location other than your polling place
- Work as a first responder, a health care worker, or a member of law enforcement
- Are Incarcerated and meet all qualifications for voting
- Are a participant in the address confidentiality program
Learn more about who is eligibile to vote absentee at Missouri's page.
Montana
Eligible voters do not need an excuse to vote absentee in Montana.
Nebraska
Eligible voters do not need an excuse to vote by mail in Nebraska.
Nevada
All registered voters in Nevada are mailed a ballot.
Contact your local election official if you do not receive a ballot .
New Hampshire
Voters must provide an approved excuse to vote absentee in New Hampshire. You can vote absentee if you:
- Will be out of town on election day
- Have a religious observance that prevents you from voting in person
- Cannot vote in person due to a disability
- Have an employment obligation (including the care of children or adults, with or without compensation)
- Are incarcerated for a misdemeanor or are awaiting trial
- Are affected by a storm or severe weather event
Learn more about who is eligibile to vote absentee at New Hampshire's page.
New Jersey
Eligible voters do not need an excuse to vote by mail in New Jersey.
New Mexico
Eligible voters do not need an excuse to vote absentee in New Mexico.
New York
Eligible voters do not need an excuse to vote by mail in New York.
North Carolina
Eligible voters do not need an excuse to vote absentee in North Carolina.
North Dakota
Eligible voters do not need an excuse to vote absentee in North Dakota.
Ohio
Eligible voters do not need an excuse to vote absentee in Ohio.
Oklahoma
Eligible voters do not need an excuse to vote absentee in Oklahoma.
Oregon
All registered voters in Oregon are mailed a ballot.
Contact your local election official if you do not receive a ballot .
Pennsylvania
Eligible voters do not need an excuse to vote by mail in Pennsylvania.
Rhode Island
Eligible voters do not need an excuse to vote by mail in Rhode Island.
South Carolina
Voters must provide an approved excuse to vote absentee in South Carolina. You can vote absentee if you:
- Have work obligations preventing you from voting during early voting or on election day
- Are attending a sick or physically disabled person, preventing you from voting during early voting or on election day
- Are confined to a jail or pretrial facility pending disposition of arrest or trial, preventing you from voting during early voting or on election day
- Will be absent from your county of residence during early voting and on election day
- You have a physical disability
- You are sixty-five years of age or older
- You are a member of the Armed Forces and Merchant Marines, or are a spouse or dependent residing with them
- Are admitted to a hospital as an emergency patient on the day of the election or within a four-day period before the election
Learn more about who is eligibile to vote absentee at South Carolina's page.
South Dakota
Eligible voters do not need an excuse to vote absentee in South Dakota.
Tennessee
Voters must provide an approved excuse to vote absentee in Tennessee. You can vote absentee if you:
- Are sixty (60) years of age or older
- Will be outside the county where you are registered during the early voting period and all day on election day
- Are hospitalized, ill or physically disabled and unable to appear at your polling place to vote. A physician’s statement is not required to qualify
- You are the caretaker of a person who is hospitalized, ill, or disabled. A physician’s statement is not required to qualify
- Are a full-time student in an accredited college or university outside the county where you are registered, or the spouse of said student
- Reside in a nursing home, assisted living facility or home for the aged outside your county of residence
- Are a candidate for office in the election
- Are observing a religious holiday that prevents you from voting in person during the early voting period and on election day
- Serve as an election day official or as a member or employee of the election commission
- Will be unable to vote in-person due to jury duty
- Have a disability and an inaccessible polling place
- Possess a valid commercial drivers license (CDL) or Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) card and you will be working outside the state or county of registration during the open hours of early voting and election day, or are the spouse of such person
- Are a member of the military or are an overseas citizen
- Are on the permanent absentee list
Learn more about who is eligibile to vote absentee at Tennessee's page.
Texas
Voters must provide an approved excuse to vote by mail in Texas. You can vote absentee if you:
- Are 65 years or older
- Are sick or disabled
- Will be out of the county on election day and during the early voting period
- Are expected to give birth within three weeks before or after election day
- Are confined in jail, but otherwise eligible
Learn more about who is eligibile to vote by mail at Texas's page.
Utah
All registered voters in Utah are mailed a ballot.
Contact your local election official if you do not receive a ballot .
Vermont
Eligible voters do not need an excuse to vote absentee in Vermont.
Virginia
Eligible voters do not need an excuse to vote absentee in Virginia.
Washington
All registered voters in Washington are mailed a ballot.
Contact your local election official if you do not receive a ballot .
West Virginia
Voters must provide an approved excuse to vote absentee in West Virginia. You can vote absentee if you:
- Have an illness, injury or other medical reason
- Are disabled or of advanced age
- Are incarcerated or on home detention and are otherwise eligible
- Are unable to vote in-person due to work hours and distance from county seat
- Are disabled and do not have an accessible early voting site or polling place
- Will be traveling for personal or business reasons and have an address outside of the county
- Are attending college or another place of education or training outside of the county
- Are temporarily residing outside of the county
- Are an elected or appointed state or federal official with an address outside of the county
- Are a member of the United States uniformed services and Merchant Marines on active duty, or a spouse or dependent of a member
- Are a United States citizens temporarily or permanently residing outside the country
Your County Commission may also extend emergency absentee voting to voters who:
- Have been admitted to a hospital during the seven days leading up to election day
- Have resided in a nursing home within the county for less than thirty days
- Are in a hospital or other licensed health care facility within an adjacent county or within thirty-five miles of the county seat
- Have become confined, on or after the seventh day preceding an election, to a specific location within the county because of illness, injury, physical disability, immobility due to advanced age, or another medical reason
Learn more about who is eligibile to vote absentee at West Virginia's page.
Wisconsin
Eligible voters do not need an excuse to vote absentee in Wisconsin.
Wyoming
Eligible voters do not need an excuse to vote absentee in Wyoming.