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Can I vote by mail in District of Columbia?
Yes. Your ballot comes to you.
Every active registered voter is mailed a ballot automatically. Just make sure your registration and mailing address are current.
- Voter registrationTue, Oct 13Passed
Same-day registration is available in person.
- Mail request must be receivedMon, Oct 19Passed
Missed the request deadline?
- Voters kept from the polls by an illness or accident after Oct. 15, or an earlier illness they haven't recovered from, and voters on a sequestered jury. Deadline: Tue, Nov 3. Application for Emergency Absentee Ballot with an affidavit, available from Oct. 28; an agent (a DC registered voter or a court officer) picks up the ballot, you mark it in their presence, and they return it to DCBOE or a Board official at a vote center. source
- NextFill it in, sign the envelope, and get it in the mail byTue, Oct 272 days
USPS says allow 7 days. Your ballot must be postmarked by Tue, Nov 3; mailing earlier avoids a late postmark. Or use a drop box.
- Returning it:
Postmarked by Election Day and received at the Board of Elections within 10 days after (Nov. 13), or in any BOE drop box by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Return postage is prepaid.
Dropping it off? Drop boxes are widely available here, and using one skips the mail entirely. D.C. drop box locations.
Who can return it for you: The official source doesn't say whether someone else may carry it. Ask your county election office. DC law and DCBOE say a mail ballot may be mailed, put in a DCBOE drop box, or delivered to a Vote Center or the Board's office by 8 p.m. Election Day, with only your own ballot in the envelope. Nothing says whether someone else may carry it. The emergency-ballot agent is the only named third party. source
- Election DayTue, Nov 39 days
If your ballot gets flaggedDeadline: Tue, Nov 10 · 16 days
If your ballot was flagged
- Read the letter, email or text from your county. It says what's wrong.
- Sign and return the certificate from the notice letter by email, mail or in person within 7 days after the election. Deadline: Tue, Nov 10 · 16 days
- Call your county election office. You can say:
Hi, I voted by mail and my ballot was flagged. What do I need to do to fix it, and by when? Can I do it today?
Trouble voting? Free, nonpartisan hotline: 866-OUR-VOTE · 888-VE-Y-VOTA · 888-API-VOTE · 844-YALLA-US
Good to know in District of Columbia Postage is prepaid. Sign and date the Voter's Oath on the back of the return envelope, and put only your own ballot inside it.
Where are you with your ballot?
Where are you with your ballot?
Will your ballot count in District of Columbia?
Will your ballot count in District of Columbia?
- Is this your first time voting by mail?
- Have you moved since you last voted?
- Has your signature changed much since you registered?
Why ballots get rejected in District of Columbia, and how to avoid it
- Sign AND date the Voter's Oath on the back of the return envelope. Put only your own ballot inside; an envelope with more than one ballot causes problems.
- Sign the envelope. An unsigned envelope is the most common fixable mistake.
- Use the secrecy sleeve if one is included, then the return envelope. Don't tape anything.
- Your state goes by the postmark. Automated postmarks can lag a day, so hand it to a clerk at the post office counter and ask for a manual postmark (free).
- Keep the phone and email on your registration current. If there's a problem, that's how they reach you to fix it.
Voting in person insteadpolling place, early voting, ID
Polling place and sample ballot: Your state's voter portal shows where you vote in person, what's on your ballot, and your registration status, all from your address. Open the voter portal
Mon, Oct 26 through Sun, Nov 1 (starts in 1 day). Locations and hours
You don't need to show ID to vote in person. Exception: if you registered by mail and this is your first federal election in the state, federal law says bring ID the first time.
Accepted: Not required for registered voters; proof of residence needed only to register in person or if flagged 'ID REQUIRED' because DMV/SSN could not be verified Without one: Registered voters vote normally; a flagged voter without proof of residence votes a special (provisional) ballot
More about your statepermanent list, counting, alerts
District of Columbia has a Permanent Absentee Voter list for any voter. Sign up once and you won't have to request again. Every active voter is mailed a ballot anyway; the list matters if you'll be away from your DC address. Check the box on the absentee request form.
District of Columbia cannot start counting mail ballots until Election Day itself, so results take longer than you might expect. Results are certified Wed, Dec 2.
- Military or overseas. You're covered by federal law (UOCAVA), which usually gives you longer deadlines and electronic delivery. Use the Federal Post Card Application to register and request a ballot in one step. If your ballot doesn't arrive, the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot is your backup. FVAP.gov
- College student. You can register at your school address or your family's, not both. If you're registered back home and away at school, request a mail ballot from home early; campus mail is slow. Some states require a specific reason for students to vote absentee, so check your state's rule above. Student voter guide
- Disability or need help marking a ballot. Every state must offer an accessible way to vote. Most have an accessible mail-ballot option you can mark on a screen reader or your own device, and all allow a person of your choice (not your employer or union rep) to assist. Ask your county election office for the accessible absentee ballot. If illness, a hospital stay or a disability keeps you from the polls AFTER the request deadline, most states still have a way to get you a ballot: see "Missed the request deadline?" under your state's dates, and "Who can return it for you" for whether a family member or helper may carry it back. EAC: voters with disabilities
- Moved recently. Your registration is tied to your address. If you moved within your state, update it before the registration deadline; if you've moved across state lines, register in the new state. Moved after the deadline? Many states let you vote at your old precinct one last time or update in person; call your county. vote.gov
- Past felony conviction. Rules vary widely: some states restore rights automatically on release, others after probation or parole, a few require a separate process. Don't assume you can't vote. Check your state before the registration deadline. NCSL: restoration of voting rights
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Verified against the official page 2026-09-11. Rule checked 2026-09-09. Deadlines checked 2026-09-09. Request deadlines are "received by," not postmarked. The official site wins if anything differs. Spot something wrong? We check every report against the state's own page and fix errors as soon as they're reported. Email fix@ballotbymail.org or use the report form.