How this site works
Ballot by Mail is a one-person project. It answers one question, whether you can vote by mail where you live, and points you at the office that actually handles it. It doesn't take positions, doesn't run ads, and doesn't store anything you type.
Where the answers come from
Each state is sorted into one of three categories using the National Conference of State Legislatures' absentee tables, the Movement Advancement Project, and the U.S. Vote Foundation, then checked against the state's own election site. Deadlines come from Vote.org's 2026 table, with individual states cross-checked against their official pages where the two disagreed. Every entry carries the date it was last checked, and the official site always wins over anything here.
State rules last checked 2026-09-09. Deadlines last checked 2026-09-09.
What it doesn't do
- No tracking, no analytics, no cookies, no accounts. The ZIP you type never leaves your browser.
- No county-level detail yet. Absentee voting is run by counties, and their rules and forms vary. Use the official link.
- No legal advice. If your situation is unusual, call your county election office. They answer the phone.
Open data
Everything the checker knows is at /data/states.json. There's also a tiny API: /api/state?zip=90274 or /api/state?state=TX. Both are free to use with attribution and re-check everything against official sources before you rely on it.
Report an error
If something here is wrong, email fix@ballotbymail.org with the state and a link to the official source. Corrections show up in the changelog below.
Changelog
- Wed, Sep 9 Added 2026 general election request and return deadlines for all states, with official ballot trackers. Source: Vote.org table, North Carolina cross-checked against NCSBE.
- Wed, Sep 9 Connecticut moved from excuse-required to no-excuse. Public Act 26-42, effective July 1, 2026.
- Wed, Sep 9 Site launched. State categories verified against NCSL, Movement Advancement Project, and U.S. Vote Foundation.
State list
All-mail state (9): California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, Washington
No-excuse absentee (29): Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Excuse required (13): Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia
Money
The supplies section on the home page uses affiliate links. If you buy something through them the site earns a small commission. That's it. No ads, no sponsors, no data sales.