US election: Mail-In Voting vs. Absentee Voting: What’s the Difference?
What is Absentee Voting?
An absentee ballot is used when a voter can’t physically be present at a polling station on Election Day. It allows voters to request a ballot from their state’s election office, which is filled out, signed, and mailed back or returned to the election office. Reasons for requesting an absentee ballot vary by state, such as being out of town, illness, disability, religious observances, or working hours that conflict with polling times. Absentee ballots have a long history, dating back to the Civil War, and federal law mandates them for military and overseas voters.
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What is No-Excuse Absentee Voting?
In some states, absentee voting doesn’t require a specific reason. Known as no-excuse absentee voting, this allows any voter to use an absentee ballot if they choose. However, the term “absentee ballot” might be replaced with “mail-in ballot” in certain states, causing confusion. For example, Pennsylvania uses the term “mail-in ballot” to refer to no-excuse absentee voting.
What is Mail-In Voting?
Mail-in voting, often used interchangeably with absentee voting, is a term used more broadly, especially in all-mail voting states. In these states, every registered voter automatically receives a mail-in ballot before Election Day. Voters fill it out, mail it back, or deposit it at a designated location. These ballots have various names based on state terminology, including
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