Mail in Balloting – State by State -- from the Brennan Center
States are highly variable about allowing, encouraging and facilitating mail-in voting.
· In Colorado, all voters can vote by mail, can request their mail-in ballots on line, can register on line, can vote at a voting center, can vote early, and can do same day registration; 95% of voters vote by mail. Colorado has about 4 million registered voters.
· In Alabama, voters need an approved excuse to vote by mail, cannot request their absentee ballot on line, cannot do same day registration, cannot vote early, but can register on line; 3% of voters vote by mail. Alabama has about 3.5 million voters.
· In Connecticut, voters need an approved excuse to vote by mail, cannot request their absentee ballot on line, can do same day registration, cannot vote early, but can register on line; 6% of voters vote by mail. Connecticut has about 2.4 million voters.
· In California in the upcoming presidential election, all voters can vote by mail, can request their mail-in ballots on line, can register on line, can vote at a voting center, can vote early, and can do same day registration; 66% of voters vote by mail. California has over 25 million registered voters.
The states with lots of restrictions on mail-in voting include: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, and West Virginia.
The states with few restrictions on mail in voting in the upcoming elections include: Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Washington State.
States have very different policies to make it far easier or much harder and in this election cycle far more dangerous for their citizens and registered voters to access the mail-in voting options available in their state.
· In California for the upcoming election if you are a registered voter, you will be sent your mail-in ballot by mail with a pre-paid postage return envelope.
· In Alabama, you must apply to vote by mail with an application signed by two witnesses or an authorized official like a notary public. Your request must be received 5 days before the election.
· In Rhode Island, your request to vote by mail must be received 21 days before the election. Two witnesses or a notary public must sign your request.
· In Arizona, your request for a mail in ballot can be sent by mail or requested on line, and it must be received by the election officials 11 days before the election. You will be sent your mail-in ballot by mail with a pre-paid postage return envelope.
Other states that make it quite easy for their registered voters to vote by mail include: Maine and Maryland; while other states that make it very difficult for their citizens to vote by mail include: South Carolina and Wisconsin.
If you want to change this, so that all registered voters in the US can vote in safety for the candidates of their choice in November, write your Congressperson, your Senator, your Governor, your Secretary of State and your elected state representative and do it now.
Prepared by: Lucien Wulsin
Dated: 5/21/20