Can I vote by mail in my state?

Eight states plus D.C. mail every registered voter a ballot automatically. Twenty-nine states let any voter request a mail ballot with no excuse. Thirteen states require a qualifying reason such as travel, illness, disability, or age. Enter your ZIP code at ballotbymail.org for your state's rule and deadlines.

When is the deadline to request a mail ballot for the November 3, 2026 election?

It varies by state, from three weeks before Election Day to the day before. Most fall between October 19 and October 30, 2026. Request deadlines are 'received by,' not postmarked.

Did the federal government ban mail-in voting?

No. Whether you can vote by mail is set by your state. A 2026 executive order changed how the Postal Service handles mail ballots and is being litigated. Request early and return by drop box or in person where available.

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Ballot by Mail
ballotbymail.org · nonpartisan

November 3, 2026 general election

Voting by mail in New Hampshire

Only with a qualifying reason. You need an approved reason, such as travel, illness or disability, age, or work. Check your state's list. If you don't qualify, early in-person voting is usually an option. A winter storm warning for your town on Election Day also counts as an excuse.

Key dates

Mail ballot request received by	Mon, Nov 2, noon (by mail); 5 p.m. in person
Mail your ballot by	Tue, Oct 27 (USPS: allow 7 days)
Election Day	Tue, Nov 3
ID at the polls	Photo ID requested. Without one: No affidavit ballot since 2024. The ballot clerk sends the voter to the supervisor of the checklist; a moderator, clerk, supervisor or selectman who personally knows the voter may attest to identity (Attestation of Identity form); if the supervisor determines identity/qualifications are not established, the voter is not allowed to vote (appeal to superior court). No provisional ballot and no post-election cure.
Return rule	Received by 5 p.m. on Election Day.
Missed the request deadline?	Emergency services workers (police, EMS, firefighters, National Guard, utility workers, Red Cross) called into service after noon Oct. 30: by Tue, Nov 3, before the polls close. Voters who reach the polling place on Election Day but can't get inside because of a disability: by Tue, Nov 3, before the polls close.
Who can return it for you	Only certain people may return it for you. Mail it yourself, or have a 'delivery agent' hand it in: your spouse, parent, sibling, child, grandchild, in-law, stepparent or stepchild; a nursing-home or care-facility administrator or their designated staff; or the person who assisted you if you are blind or disabled (they may deliver no more than 4 ballots). Agents fill in a state form and show photo ID. Received by 5 p.m. Election Day. Drop boxes aren't mentioned.

Steps

Check the excuse list on your state's site. Common ones: away on Election Day, illness or disability, 65 or older, work hours.
If you qualify, request now and include the reason exactly as the form asks.
If you don't qualify, look up early in-person voting. It's available in most excuse states.
When your ballot arrives, fill it out in blue or black ink and sign the envelope.
Return it the way your state requires and track it until it shows received.

Don't get rejected

Sign the envelope the way you signed your voter registration or driver's license. Your state compares them.
Use the secrecy sleeve if one is included, then the return envelope. Don't tape anything.
Keep the phone and email on your registration current. If there's a problem, that's how they reach you to fix it.

Official election office
https://www.sos.nh.gov/elections/absentee-ballots

Track your ballot
https://www.voteinnh.org/votetracker

This page, with live updates
ballotbymail.org/state/nh

Trouble voting? 866-OUR-VOTE (English) · 888-VE-Y-VOTA (Español) · 888-API-VOTE (Asian languages) · 844-YALLA-US (العربية)

Spot something wrong? We check every report against the state's own page and fix errors as soon as they're reported: fix@ballotbymail.org or ballotbymail.org/report

Scan for the live versionballotbymail.org/state/nh — updated daily, with the latest deadlines and any changes to this state's official page.

Rules checked 2026-09-09; deadlines checked 2026-09-09. Sources: NCSL, Vote.org, CEIR, state election offices. The official site wins if anything differs. Free to copy and post.