2020 General Election
Turnout rate (VEP)
0
%
Votes cast from mailed-out ballots
0
%
2016 General Election
Turnout rate (VEP)
0
%
Votes cast from mailed out ballots
0
%
State election policies as of 2022...
Full Vote-at-Home
10/10
Full Vote-at-Home
Voter automatically mailed ballot for every election
No Excuse Required
6/6
No Excuse Required
No excuse to vote from home
Single Sign-Up
6/6
Single Sign-Up
Voter signs up once to receive mail ballot for all future elections
Local Vote-at-Home Option
5/5
Local VAH Option
Local governments have discretion to conduct full vote-at-home elections
Online Mail Ballot Sign-Up
2/2
Online Mail Ballot Sign-Up
Voter can apply for mail ballot online
Ballot Tracking
4/4
Ballot Tracking
Voter can receive ballot status notifications.
In-Person Ballot Return
4/5
In-Person Ballot Return
Voter has multiple options to return mail ballot in person
Signature Verification
4/4
Signature Verification
Voter signature verified before ballot is counted
Ballot Cure Process
4/4
Ballot Cure Process
Voter can correct issues so ballot can be counted
Prepaid Postage
4/4
Prepaid Postage
Postage-paid return envelopes provided
Election Day Postmark Acceptance
4/4
Election Day Postmark Acceptance
Ballots postmarked by Election Day are accepted
In-Person Voting
4/4
In-Person Return
Physical locations for voters to vote and receive assistance
Pre-Processing
1/3
Signature Verification
Ballots are verified and scanned before Election Day
Mail Ballot Applications
2/2
Mail Ballot Applications
Election officials can mail ballot applications to all voters eligible to vote from home
Ballot Return Assistance
2/2
Ballot Return Assistance
Voters may receive assistance to return their mail ballot
Opportunities
By transitioning to Vote By Mail permanently, D.C. can continue the excellent progress made in 2020 to expand voter access and convenience. As states transition to Vote By Mail, during the first few election cycles states see a precipitous drop in in-person voting. Once this happens, D.C. can save a substantial amount by consolidating polling locations into vote centers.
Creating an online portal for voters to request an absentee ballot not only makes it much more convenient for voters, it also would be a boon to election officials. The system could be built to feed directly into the voter registration system to help verify addresses, collect contact information, and to remove administrative steps (and costs!) to process a large amount of requests. We encourage an integrated process that allows new voters to register, current voters to make changes to their address and make requests for ballots in a seamless manner.
Ensuring that voters do not need to make an extra trip to the post office is a voter-centric reform that breaks down an economic barrier to the vote. While D.C. prepaid postage for the 2020 elections, the state should make prepaid postage permanent for all future elections.
With a drastic increase in mail ballots, D.C. has a great opportunity to reach for the gold standard of post-election security by implementing risk limiting audits.
D.C. implemented top-tier ballot tracking in the 2020 election and should make it a permanent feature for all future elections. This system has been shown to increase voter confidence and participation and to keep rejection rates low.
In response to the pandemic, D.C. temporarily created convenient district-wide vote centers where any voter could vote. By making these vote centers permanent, D.C. can save on labor and supplies by consolidating voting locations. Additionally, creating vote centers and allowing voters to drop off their absentee ballots at polling places will lessen the reliance on the postal service and increase voter convenience.
Recent Legislation
As of May 20, 2021
Washington, D.C. enacted several orders, which made mail voting more accessible throughout the 2020 election cycle. R 23-896/23-957 ordered that all eligible registered voters be sent mail ballots in postage-prepaid envelopes for the general election. D.C. prepared for the increase by adding drop boxes and extending their already sufficient postmark deadline from 7 days to 10 days. The Board of Elections mailed ballots ato all eligible voters, created a “Vote Safe” voter education campaign, and introduced measures to increase safety of physical polling places. A 23-0426 sent voter registration forms, mail ballots, and educational materials to all eligible incarcerated electors. Additionally, D.C. quickly implemented signature verification and created a cure process. D.C. has not yet passed legislation to codify these electoral improvements, but still has the opportunity to do so.
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