Absentee ballot

An absentee ballot is a ballot sent to a voter who cannot or does not wish to vote in person. Historically it was available mainly to military personnel, people traveling or those with illness or disability. Many states have since removed the need for an excuse.

The voter requests a ballot, receives it by mail, marks it and returns it by mail or drop box, usually in a signed envelope that officials verify, often through signature verification. Federal law protects overseas and military voters through the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act. States differ on deadlines for receipt, whether ballots arriving after Election Day count, witness or notary requirements and who can return a ballot for someone else, a point central to ballot harvesting debates.

The terms "absentee" and "mail-in" are often used interchangeably, though some states distinguish between voting with an excuse and voting by mail without one, or all-mail elections. Supporters say it expands access; critics, including many conservatives, say mailing ballots outside the controlled setting of a polling place raises risks of coercion, loss and fraud and call for tighter rules. Evidence from academic studies finds fraud rare but not nonexistent. See also mail-in voting.