(April 25, 2024) — According to an analysis released by the National Vote at Home Institute this week, of an estimated 149 million registered voters eligible to vote in 32 state primary contests held through April 24, 2024, only ~34 million cast a ballot; an aggregate turnout of approximately 23% if using active registered voters and a no-show rate of nearly 5-in-6 potential voters using all eligible citizens.

“What these states are missing is a powerful election reform that has the potential to double or even triple voter turnout,” says Barbara Smith Warner, executive director of the National Vote at Home Institute. “In the Vote at Home election states, where ballots are automatically delivered to all active registered voters, there’s no need to request a mailed-out ballot or travel to a polling place, and the resulting turnout shows the difference it makes.”

Through April 24, states have held three types of primary elections: 24 states held presidential preference-only contests; seven states held full state primaries, where voters chose Democratic and Republican party finalists for candidates for all federal and state positions; and one state, Wisconsin, paired its presidential contest with legislatively referred statewide ballot measures.

Among the 24 presidential preference-only states, registered voter turnout has averaged just 21%, ranging from lows of 5% to 10% in New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island to 50% in New Hampshire, which regularly has a high turnout for presidential primaries. In contrast, Vote at Home states saw a rate of 35% in Washington and 39% in Colorado, roughly double the turnout of other Super Tuesday states with comparable demographics (e.g., Tennessee (17%), Minnesota (17%), and Virginia (19%).

The turnout rates in six states that held full state primaries—Illinois (17%), Texas (18%), Alabama (21%), Ohio (22%), North Carolina (24%), and Pennsylvania (24%)—fell short of that in California (35%), which automatically delivered ballots to all registered voters. This pattern mimics National Vote at Home data from the 2022 primary election and demonstrates a significantly higher turnout in Vote at Home states.

“Delivering ballots in California reminded voters that an election was imminent and provided them time to study their options and cast an informed ballot,” said Smith Warner.

National Vote at Home Institute research examining 18-34-year-old voter turnout found that young voters had significantly higher turnout rates in the 10 Vote at Home states and Washington, D.C., that automatically delivered ballots to all active registered voters in 2020. Yet, the median age of voters in 2022 was 62* nationwide with turnout among 65+ voters was nearly 43%, compared to 10% for 18-34-year-olds.

“It’s great that 65+ Americans are well-connected to our elections, but young voters, who will constitute 44% of voters in 2028, feel estranged from our current political climate,” said Smith Warner. “We should be committed to solving a problem that threatens the key to our democracy’s future.”

Voter engagement is crucial, and using mail ballots to Vote at Home is a potential game-changer in pursuing decisive election reform.

 *In states with age-available data.

About the National Vote at Home Institute

Founded in 2018, the National Vote at Home Institute is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) organization that works to increase voters’ access to, use, and confidence in voting at home, where voters are delivered their ballot, return them by postage-free mail or in-person to a range of accessible, convenient and secure locations, and can track them online to ensure their vote is 

(April 16, 2024) — The National Vote at Home Institute (NVAHI) is excited to announce the launch of its comprehensive state-by-state How Americans Vote at Home tool. Mail ballot policies vary widely; this resource provides state-specific particulars on Vote at Home policies and processes to support nationwide efforts to promote mail ballot use. How do voters request and return their mail ballot? Is there a witness requirement? Can they track their ballot from being mailed to being counted? What happens if there’s an issue with their ballot? Are there limits on third-party involvement?

“More Americans voted at home in 2020 than by any other method, and that helped drive voter turnout to its highest level in more than a century,” said Barbara Smith Warner, executive director of the National Vote at Home Institute. “While the popularity of Vote at Home has continued to grow, many states have changed their rules on how to access it. As we approach the next presidential election, we want to make sure that voters can continue to utilize the safety and convenience of voting at home.”

Vote at Home (vote-by-mail or absentee voting) has become increasingly popular with American voters as access to it has expanded. Today, 3 in 4 voters can Vote at Home for any reason, and nearly 40% are automatically delivered or can opt-in to be delivered a mail ballot for all elections. Voting at home centers the voter’s convenience by delivering their ballot to their doorstep, offers more time and opportunities to return it, and eliminates the concerns of long poll lines, work or child care conflicts, or weather emergencies.

Over the last twenty years, NVAHI estimates that over 1 billion ballots have been delivered nationwide for presidential and midterm elections, party primary races, special vacancies, and local elections. The convenience of Vote at Home has led to higher voter turnout in states that automatically deliver ballots to every active registered voter. In 2022, Oregon, which pioneered full Vote at Home, had the highest turnout of eligible voters at over 60%.

“As an Oregonian, I’ve been Voting at Home since 2000. Now, in a year that faces poll worker shortages, long wait times and safety concerns, we want to help as many voters as possible to Vote at Home.”

The tool is primarily intended for civic engagement groups of all shapes and sizes nationwide, to help them successfully integrate Vote at Home into their voter registration and voter engagement programs. Using state specific information about How Americans Vote at Home, available on the NVAHI website, can help boost voter access and turnout through the increased use of mailed-out ballots.

About the National Vote at Home Institute

Founded in 2018, the National Vote at Home Institute is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) organization that works to increase voters’ access to, use, and confidence in voting at home, where voters are delivered their ballot, return them by postage-free mail or in-person to a range of accessible, convenient and secure locations, and can track them online to ensure their vote is counted.