3 Key Trends in Vote by Mail this Year

The 2020 election cycle is dramatically changing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Open Source Election Technology Institute, 47 states have taken measures to expand their election policies to allow all voters to have access to a vote by mail option. In some states, these policies have been in place for years while others have been recently implemented to specifically address health risks associated with in-person voting during the pandemic. 

Voting by mail is not a feasible option for every voter. For example, some voters with disabilities require in-person assistance to fill out their ballots. Voters without a fixed address cannot receive a mail-in ballot. Increasing the overall number of people voting by mail also serves to reduce the risks faced by people required to vote in person, as well as the poll workers and other personnel running essential in-person election centers.

Three major trends have emerged as states are expanding their vote by mail policies: sending mail-in ballots to all registered voters, sending mail-in ballot request applications to all registered voters, and changing absentee ballot excuse requirements. However, it is important to note that the specific vote by mail policies in each of these categories can vary greatly from state to state. Additionally while some of the vote by mail reforms extend to the general election in November, others only cover upcoming primary elections. 

Vote by mail is presenting unprecedented and unpredictable challenges during this election; however with the right knowledge and resources it may also present new, unexpected opportunities for innovation to improve and expand voting. 

Mail-In Ballots for All Registered Voters

A number of states fully transitioned to hold predominantly vote by mail elections during the pandemic. To achieve this, states have proactively sent all registered voters mail-in ballots. Increased efforts to distribute mail-in ballots to voters were often coupled with reforms to reduce in-person voting and increase options for submitting mail in ballots with the installation of official drop boxes. 

For their April primary election, Alaska and Wyoming cancelled in-person voting, sent mail-in ballots to registered voters, and extended the vote by mail deadlines. Only voters with valid reasons, like those who lacked a permanent address or required assistance due to disabilities, were allowed to vote in-person. 

Maryland implemented similar vote by mail reforms for both its originally scheduled special congressional election on April 28th and delayed state primary election to June 2nd. Absentee ballots for both elections were mailed to all registered voters, along with a list of ballot drop boxes and the limited number of in-person voting centers that remained opened. 

California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, recently issued an executive order requiring election officials to send all registered voters mail-in ballots for the general election in November. While many California counties already require mail-in ballots to be sent to all registered voters, this executive order is the first statewide vote-by-mail commitment for the 2020 general election due to public health concerns. 

Nevada also sent all active registered voters ballots to vote by mail in its June primary. Some counties like Clark County, which encompasses the Las Vegas metropolitan area, further expanded vote by mail efforts by sending ballots to all 1.1 million active and inactive registered voters, and using signature matching to verify the mail-in ballots.

Mail-In Ballot Request Applications for All Registered Voters

In other states, registered voters are being sent mail-in ballot request applications. These forms must be submitted by the voter and verified by the local election office before they are mailed an absentee ballot. 

Ohio delayed its primary election from March 17th to April 28th and cancelled in-person voting, instead sending voters applications to request the ballots to vote by mail. 

Michigan mailed absentee ballot applications to all registered voters for its May primary election and plans to do the same for the general election in November. 

West Virginia sent absentee ballot applications to every registered voter in the state and reported that over 262,000 voters had submitted applications for absentee ballots by the June 4th deadline. In comparison, just under 6,700 people voted by absentee ballot in the state’s 2016 primary.

In New Mexico, the state supreme court mandated that the state mail ballot applications to all registered voters. As a result of this order, absentee voting surged with New Mexico’s primary on June 2nd, with more than 247,000 absentee ballots cast — a significant increase from 2016 where just 23,000 were cast. 

Illinois’ state legislature also recently passed a bill mandating that, for the November general election, the state send vote by mail applications to all voters who previously applied for a ballot in elections between the 2018 general and 2020 March primary. The bill has not yet been signed by the Governor; however, if enacted, an estimated 5 million voters would automatically be sent absentee ballot applications.

Changing Absentee Voting Excuse Requirements

Thirteen states that traditionally require a valid excuse for absentee voting have temporarily changed restrictions to allow all voters to request an absentee ballot due to health concerns related to the pandemic.

In Virginia, Governor Ralph Northam signed a bill to permanently adopt a no-excuse absentee voting policy. 

For the June primary only, Indiana is also allowing registered voters to vote by mail with no excuse. 

In New York’s June primary, all voters are allowed to mark “temporary illness” as their excuse for absentee voting due to health concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

New Hampshire is allowing no-excuse vote-by-mail for all 2020 elections due to the pandemic, advising all voters to mark the “disability” excuse to receive a mail in ballot due to COVID-19 health concerns. Most recently, 

Missouri Governor Mike Parson signed a bill to make all registered voters in the state eligible to vote by mail in the upcoming August and November elections, temporarily eliminating valid excuse requirements for absentee voting. The policy requires mail-in ballots to be notarized, unless the voter is “at-risk,” defined as those who are 65 years or older, immunocompromised, or have specific chronic or respiratory illnesses.

Looking Ahead

To expand vote by mail, most states have adopted at least one of three main strategies: sending registered voters mail-in ballots, sending registered voters absentee ballot request forms, or removing restrictions on valid excuse absentee voting during the pandemic. However, three states—Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas—still have restrictions on absentee voting in place, and are not permitting COVID-19 related health concerns to be used as a valid excuse to request an absentee ballot. A number of lawsuits are proceeding through the courts to challenge these vote by mail policies. The state of vote by mail will likely be decided by these judicial outcomes, and until then remains uncertain. Many of the vote by mail reforms have also encountered a number of logistical obstacles due to rapid implementation and the continuously evolving COVID-19 situation. As a result, the changing policies are raising new, unexpected challenges in elections across the country. 

At BallotReady, we are committed to keeping you up to date on the latest developments in every state on vote by mail and other election policies and procedures. We have developed digital tools, like our Vote By Mail Engine and state-by-state vote by mail guidelines to ensure you and your voters have the information you need going into Election Day.