Voting in 2020

***If you want to learn how to vote absentee in your state, “Ctrl+F” or “⌘+F” for your state’s name***

Table of Contents

• Voting is hard. COVID-19 makes it harder.
• How to vote efficiently in your state.
• Lowlights.
• Disclaimer.

Voting is hard. COVID-19 makes it harder.

I’m embarrassed to admit that I cast my first ballot in 2016, despite having been eligible to do so since 2012. What changed in 2016? I moved to a state where my ballot was mailed to my home.

When I moved to Washington, I was surprised to find a voter pamphlet describing an upcoming election in my mailbox one day followed closely by the actual ballot. After some effort Googling the candidates and measures, I dropped off my completed ballot at one of the numerous drop locations throughout Seattle. In March I dropped it off at a post office in Waikiki, Hawaii (for free). I have now voted in 10 elections.

This year has been a wake up call for me to realize how broken my country is. The system that we were raised to believe in, a government of the people by the people for the people, is finding ways around how to actually represent its people time and time again. One of the tools we have to make sure our country does what we want is our vote. Your vote matters.

Unfortunately, casting a vote in a lot of states is hard. Unless you live in one of the five states where a ballot will always automatically be sent to your home, you either have to request a ballot to be sent to you, or take time off work to stand in line at a polling location for an unknown amount of time.

In 2016, 56% of the reported ages of poll workers were above the age of 60 (source). This is the same demographic that has the highest mortality rates from COVID-19. We have already seen polling locations closed because there aren’t enough healthy and willing poll workers to keep them open (source, source). This is understandable and even expected, despite the CDC’s official guidance to election officials to “maintain or increase the total number of polling places available to the public on Election Day to improve the ability to social distance” (CDC).

My prediction is that come November, you can expect to see long, slow lines at sparsely available polling places. To help alleviate some of the pain of election day for yourself and for others, I implore you to please apply for an absentee ballot. Vote early.

How to vote efficiently in your state.

Some states make voting early or mailing in a ballot easier than others. Vote.org has a per-state breakdown of how to vote this year. Please click the link and make sure you are registered appropriately to receive an absentee ballot in your state. I’ve tried to compile some easy-to-follow links below, so feel free to “Ctrl+F” or “⌘+F” for your state’s name.

If you live in the following states, a ballot will be mailed to you by default in November 2020. Make sure your registration has the correct address on file: Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Utah, California.

If you are registered to vote in the following states, you can request a mail-in-ballot without a reason, and must do so in order to avoid physically going to polls in November:

• Alaska — Application for an absentee ballot must be received at least 10 days before election day. This year, election day is 11/3/2020, so 10/24/2020 is the last day. It’s also a Saturday, so I recommend not waiting for the last day.
• Arizona — You can request a permanent arrangement of having your ballot mailed to you for all future elections, or select a particular election for a mailed ballot. Either way, do so at least 11 days before election day. This year, the application must be received by 5pm on 10/23/2020 for the general election.
• DC — Request an absentee ballot at least 7 days before election day, so by 10/27/2020 for the general election.
• Florida — Your ability to easily access an absentee ballot seems to vary based on your county of residence, but you must submit a request for one at least 10 days in advance of election day, so by 10/24/2020.
• Georgia — You must request an absentee ballot for each election separately, and can only do so for a given election starting 180 days before the election up to the close of business Friday before the election. For the November general election, that’s any time between now and 10/30/2020.
• Idaho — Your request for an absentee ballot for the general election must be received by 8 pm on 10/23/2020. #VoteEarlyIdaho
• Illinois — You request for an absentee ballot must be received by the Election Authority by 10/29/2020 for the Nov. general election.
• Iowa — Request for absentee ballot must be received by your county auditor by 5 pm on 10/23/2020 (11 days prior to the election).
• Kansas — Contact your county election officer to receive a ballot in the mail. You must request a mail-in ballot no later than 10/27/2020.
• Maine — Submit the linked application at least three days in advance of election day (10/31/2020 for the Nov. general election).
• Maryland — Despite the fact that you received a ballot in the mail for the primary election, you must proactively request an absentee ballot to receive one in the mail for the general election. Your request must be received by 10/27/2020.
• Michigan — You can now sign up for absentee voting online! Make sure you submit your application no later than 5 pm on 10/30/2020 for the Nov. general election.
• Minnesota — There is no official deadline to submit this request, but your completed ballot must be postmarked by Election Day, so I recommend not waiting beyond 10/23/2020 for the Nov. general election to give ample time for your ballot mailer to work through the COVID19 backlog.
• Montana — The application must be received by the county election office by 12 pm on 11/2/2020 for the Nov. general election, but to make sure you have enough time to receive and send back a completed ballot via mail, I recommend not waiting longer than 10–11 days prior to the election (10/23/2020).
• Nebraska — The application must be received by the county election office by 10/23/2020 for the Nov. general election. You must mail in your application to your county’s official (find the appropriate address here).
• Nevada — Though the primary was conducted entirely by mail, currently you must still apply for an absentee ballot for the general election. The application must be received no later than 10/20/2020 by your county clerk.
• New Jersey — Your application for a mailed ballot must be received by 10/27/2020 by your county clerk. Your completed ballot must be received by election day.
• New Mexico — Your application for a mailed ballot must be received by your county clerk no later than 10/20/2020. There is an online application, but it doesn’t currently have any elections. It’s a new form, and I’m not sure when they plan on making the application available online. The paper form can still be mailed to your county clerk, however. Early, in-person voting is available from 10/17–10/31 (specific hours to be shared by your county clerk).
• North Carolina — You can email, mail, or fax the completed form to your county board office (contact info in the form), but it must be received by your county officials no later than 5 pm 10/27/2020 for the Nov. general election. More information can be found here.
• North Dakota — It looks like there is both an online and paper form option (the latter can be mailed to the office appropriate for your county). Ballots will be mailed out starting 9/24/2020, and completed ballots must be postmarked by 11/2/2020 (source).
• Ohio — You can fill out the paper form or simply write a letter with the appropriate information and mail it to your county Board of Elections no later than 10/31/2020. Your completed ballot must be postmarked no later than 11/2/2020. Given the short turnaround, I recommend not waiting until the last minute to apply for an absentee ballot. There is also an early voting period where you can vote in-person (no application or acquisition of stamps required). The schedule for early voting will vary based on your county.
• Oklahoma — There’s an online portal for you to request an absentee ballot, or you can mail in a paper form to your county office. You must do so no later than 5 pm 10/27/2020 for the Nov. general election. Your completed ballot must be received by your county office by 7 pm on election day .More information about absentee voting can be found here.
• Pennsylvania — You likely want to sign up for a “mail-in” ballot, not an “absentee” ballot (you can see the difference here). Your application must be received no later than 5 pm on 10/27/2020, and I recommend doing it early because their web portal seems rather slow. Your completed ballot must be received by your county office by 8 pm on 11/3/2020 for the Nov. general election.
• Rhode Island — Your completed request must be received by your local board of canvassers (contact info on the form) by 4 pm on 10/13/2020 for the Nov. general election. You don’t have to pay for postage. Your completed ballot must be received by 8 pm on election day (11/3/2020). Find more information about voting by mail here.
• South Dakota — If you didn’t already receive an application for an absentee ballot in the mail, you can print one out and mail it to your county auditor. Your application must be received no later than 5 pm 11/2/2020 for the Nov. general election. To give county officials enough time to mail you your ballot, and for you to fill it out and return it, I recommend submitting the application ASAP.
• Vermont — Submit your application for an absentee ballot ASAP; the latest official time for submission is the last day of regular hours your county clerk has prior to the election (maybe 11/2/2020?), but that will not be early enough for you to receive and return your ballot via mail. More info here.
• Virginia — Submit your application no later than 7 pm on 10/27/2020 for the Nov. general election. More information about voting early or absentee can be found here.
• Wisconsin — Submit your application no later than 5 pm on 10/29/2020 for a mailed ballot. More info on voting absentee can be found here.
• Wyoming — Send your information to your county clerk (you can call, email, or mail your information if you don’t want to go in person). Ballots can take around 7 days to be mailed to you if you wait until after 9/19/2020. Give yourself enough time to receive and send your ballot back by 7 pm on election day. More information can be found here.

If you live in the following states, you may request an absentee ballot for Nov. 2020 (due to COVID-19):

• Alabama — [updated 8/2/2020] Assuming there is still an active state of emergency at the end of October (seems like a pretty safe bet), you can apply for an absentee ballot with the excuse, “I have a physical illness or infirmity which prevents my attendance at the polls” (source). The deadline to apply for the ballot is 10/29/2020. Your ballot must be received by the election manager by 12 pm on 11/3/2020 if you’re mailing it back, or by 5 pm on 11/2/2020 if you’re dropping it off in person (source). Secretary of State: John Merrill (R), 2022.
• Connecticut — Source. Currently I don’t see a special absentee ballot request page for November. Based on the FAQ, you will need to reach out to your municipal clerk 31 days before the election, so 10/3/2020. Secretary of State: Denise Merrill (D), 2022.
• Delaware — Source, courtesy of a gubernatorial executive order by John Carney (D), 2020. So long as the executive order is in place close to the general election, absentee voting by mail will be permitted. You will need to submit your application by 10/24/2020.
• Kentucky — [updated 8/22/2020] Your application for an absentee ballot must be received by 10/9/2020 (source). You will have ballot drop boxes available. Your completed ballot must be postmarked by 11/3/2020 and received by 11/6/2020. Expanded access to absentee voting courtesy of a gubernatorial executive order from Andy Beshear (D), 2023 (source).
• Louisiana — There is a special absentee ballot for reasons related to COVID-19, though whether any layman can use these reasons is unclear. If you are a member of a higher risk population (or taking care of someone who is), however, this will work for you. You must request a ballot at least 4 days in advance of an election, or by 10/30/2020 for the Nov. general election. Secretary of State: Kyle Ardoin (R), 2023.
• Massachusetts — You have to download, print, and mail the form (or write a letter to your county clerk if you lack a printer) because staying home to avoid catching coronavirus is considered a legitimate reason to vote absentee. Your application for an absentee ballot must officially be received by the county clerk by 12 pm on 11/2/2020 for the Nov. general election, but the state’s website also says to make sure you give them enough time to send you a ballot and for you to send it back. Honestly, I wouldn’t wait longer than the 10–11 days basically every other state says to give (so 10/23/2020), especially given backlogs to be expected by the pandemic. Secretary of the Commonwealth: William Galvin (D), 2022.
• Missouri — The deadline for submitting your request for the Nov. general election is 5 pm on 10/21 (source). You must submit it to your local election office, not the Secretary of State’s office. Note that the Secretary of State (Jay Ashcroft (R), 2020) is making a distinction between an “absentee” ballot and a “mail-in” ballot; if you’re not part of a high-risk population, you will need to send in a notarized completed ballot via USPS. The Secretary of State has an online notary mechanism active for the primary election, though it is unclear to me how it works or whether it will be available for the general election. There is also a list of free notaries that you can visit.
• New Hampshire — Fill out the “Absentee Ballot Application” and mail it in to your town or city clerk ASAP. Your state considers being concerned about COVID-19 a valid reason to request an absentee ballot: “The term ‘disability’ in the election law extends to these circumstances. Even if you do not consider yourself a person with disability in other circumstances, this term applies for registering to vote and voting in 2020” (source). Your completed ballot must be received no later than 5 pm on 11/3/2020; you are officially encouraged to mail it in no later than 10/20/2020, which means you must request your ballot well before then (do it now!).
• New York — [updated 8/22/2020] Absentee ballot applications are due by 10/27/2020 (I do not recommend waiting that long). Supposedly there is an online portal for this coming soon, but given that it is not yet ready, I recommend going the old school way and contacting your local county board of elections via email/fax/mail. Gubernatorial executive orders from Andrew Cuomo (D), 2022, have expanded access to absentee voting this year (source).
• West Virginia — Source. Your application must be complete by 10/28/2020. Decision made by Secretary of State Mac Warner (R), 2020.

If you live in the following states, you cannot currently request a special absentee ballot for the November general election, however your state issued a special opportunity to do so due to pandemic for the primary election:

• South Carolina — Source. There is a petition to the state Supreme Court to allow no-excuse absentee voting in November, but it has opposition from elected officials (Jay Lucas (R), 2020; Harvey Peeler (R), 2020; elections commission, appointed by Governor Henry McMaster (R), 2022) who believe the legislature should make laws for this decision (source). My understanding is there will be a decision in mid-September. Meanwhile, a bill has been introduced to the House to allow self-isolation to be a valid excuse for a mail-in ballot, and to remove the requirement in such a scenario to have a witness on the ballot. This bill is co-written by a slew of Democrats and two Republicans (Nathan Ballentine, 2020; Kirkman Finlay, III, 2020). A different bill has been introduced to the Senate to expand absentee ballot access to anyone residing in an area that has declared a state of emergency within 46 days of an election (this one is co-written across the aisle).

If you live in the following states, I’m sorry your state thinks nothing needs to change in November. Here is who makes that decision and when you can vote them out:

• Arkansas — John Thurston (R) (Secretary of State and Chief Election Official), 2022.
• Indiana —[updated 8/22/2020] Election Commission appointed by Governor Eric Holcomb (R), 2020.
• Mississippi — Michael Watson (R) (Secretary of State), 2023.
• Tennessee — [updated 8/13/2020] Tre Hargett (R), selected by the majority party of the General Assembly. Half of the General Assembly is up for reelection in November and the other half will be up for reelection in 2022. If you want to see a change, vote out the current majority (R).
• Texas — Ruth R. Hughs (R) (Secretary of State), appointed by Governor Greg Abbott (R), 2022.

Lowlights

• Arkansas Secretary of State and Chief Election Official, John Thurston, believes the current procedures are adequate for dealing with coronavirus (source). Arkansas does not permit no-excuse absentee voting. To vote early, you must physically go to your county clerk’s office during their office hours.
• Mississippi Lawmakers are trying to pass a bill that would allow those with a physician-imposed quarantine (or those taking care of a dependent who has one) to vote absentee. Mississippi only provides sporadic free testing. This is clear voter suppression; those who cannot afford to get tested or get an appointment in time will be forced to risk the health and safety of themselves and of their communities in order to exercise their civic right to vote.
• [updated 8/13/2020] The Tennessee Supreme Court overruled a lower court’s decision to expand mail-in voting access to all without requiring an excuse (source). The Secretary of State (Tre Hargett (R), selected by the majority party of the General Assembly) never supported the expanded access, and is happy to see the limitation reinstated, as per his Tweet on the subject.
• The Texas Supreme Court rejected a case that claimed lack of immunity to COVID-19 as a disability justifying receipt of a mail-in ballot. Four of the justices are up for re-election in 2020: Nathan Hecht (R), Jane Bland (R), Jeffrey Boyd (R), Justin Busby (R).

Disclaimer

I have obtained all of this information by doing my best to chase down the information available on the internet. Unless otherwise noted, this research is being done on 06/29/2020, 07/04/2020, or 07/05/2020. If I hear updates, corrections, or call-outs of something I’ve missed, I will post accordingly.