Sharing the Facts About Mail Voting

Millions of Americans—across rural areas, suburbs, and cities—cast their ballots by mail. Mail voting provides a safe, secure, and accessible alternative to going to a polling place in person to vote, and is a practice spanning more than 160 years, dating back to soldiers voting during the Civil War.

Americans of all backgrounds utilize this method of voting; nearly one-third of voters in 2024 cast their ballots by mail, according to research from States United.

While all states allow mail voting, specific procedures vary and are set by states. In more than half of the states, voters may request a mail ballot without providing a reason for doing so.

States have also made different decisions about whether to count ballots that are sent by Election Day but arrive shortly after. In June 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court held that federal law does not dictate when a ballot must be received in order for it to count. States can determine for themselves the deadlines for when mail ballots can be received, as long as they are mailed before or on Election Day. Voters should make a plan to vote, understand their state’s deadlines, mail their ballots early, and consider using secure ballot drop boxes as needed to ensure their votes are counted.

Despite efforts by some to cast doubt on the system, states have implemented tested methods to ensure that mail voting remains secure and reliable.

Here are some key takeaways about the security of voting by mail:

• Make a plan to vote. Get your ballot in early.
  • Learn your state’s deadline for sending in a mail ballot.
  • Find out if you must request a mail ballot or if one will be sent to you automatically.
  • If you’re voting by mail, cast your ballot early. Try to send it back at least one week before Election Day.
  • If Election Day is approaching, you can return your ballot to your local election office or put it in a drop box, if that option is available in your state. You can also hand over your unvoted mail ballot at your polling place and vote in person instead.
  • Don’t miss your chance to make your choice in the next election.
• Mail voting is safe and secure.
  • If you choose to vote by mail, state election officials will make sure your vote is counted.
• Mail voting is popular. Every U.S. state offers some form of mail voting, and its use has steadily grown over time as a convenient way for voters to make their voices heard.
  • Mail voting is trusted by the American people.
  • Polling backs that up. More than 7 in 10 Americans have some level of trust for voting by mail—more than half of those surveyed have higher levels of trust.
  • Voters of all partisan leanings, locations, and physical abilities use mail voting.
• Mail voting is a reliable way to cast a ballot for Americans who cannot vote in person.
  • There are lots of reasons why millions of voters can’t vote in person on Election Day. Whether a voter has a disability, lives in a remote area, has a demanding job or caregiving obligations, is in the military, in the hospital, or is traveling, mail voting gives Americans of all backgrounds a way of casting a ballot that is convenient and safe.
  • Mail voting allows more Americans to participate in elections and make their voices heard.
• States have overlapping systems in place to protect the security of mail voting. Procedures vary by state, but those systems include:
  • Unique serial numbers and barcodes that make sure each voter can return only one valid ballot.
  • Verification procedures that make sure each ballot is sent to the correct voter.
  • Tracking procedures that let both voters and election officials track every ballot, from when it goes in the mail to when it’s counted.
  • Stiff criminal penalties, including prison time, for anyone who tries to tamper with mail voting.
  • Signature verification, overseen by trained election workers.
• State and local election officials—our friends and neighbors in communities all over the country—are preparing every day to deliver another election that’s free, fair, safe, and secure.
  • Your state and local election officials are the best source for truthful information about mail voting. Check with them for the deadlines in your state and more details on how mail voting works where you live.
  • Local officials make sure every eligible vote, and only every eligible vote, is counted.