State Policy Dashboard
Want to know how voter-centric your state’s policies are? Select a state and/or vote-at-home policy below to see how your state stacks up. To select multiple states, hold down the CTRL key (COMMAND on a MAC). It is recommended you access this dashboard on a tablet or desktop computer. But wait, what are all of these policies? We’ve included descriptions at the bottom of this page.
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Vote-at-home policies across the U.S.
State-by-state vote-at-home comparisons
Definitions
Does the state require that all active registered voters are automatically mailed ballots for every election?
- Yes
- No
Does the state permit jurisdictions to adopt a vote-at-home model in which voters are automatically mailed ballots for every election?
- Yes
- No
- N/A (for states that score “Yes” on Vote-at-home)
Does state law require local election officials to provide a permanent absentee, or single sign-up, list for voters to make a one-time request to automatically receive a mail ballot for every election?
- Yes
- No
- N/A (for states that score “Yes” on Vote-at-home)
Can any voter legally receive a mailed-out ballot simply by requesting one?
- Yes
- No
Can eligible voters go online to request a mailed-out ballot rather than submit a paper form?
- Yes
- No
- N/A (for states that score “Yes” on Vote-at-home)
Can voters sign up to receive real-time electronic and/or phone notifications of the status of their ballot (i.e., when it’s mailed; when it’s received; and when/whether it’s been accepted for counting)?
- Yes, end-to-end (meaning voters can sign-up to receive electronic/phone notifications from their local elections office)
- Yes, local only (meaning only voters in certain localities can sign-up to receive electronic/phone notifications from their local elections office)
- Yes, lookup tool (meaning voters can lookup their ballot status online)
- No
At least for primary and general elections, do return ballot envelopes have prepaid postage?
- Yes
- No
As required by state law, are vote centers available during the voting period for voters to register to vote, receive assistance, obtain a replacement ballot, and/or return their mail ballots in person?
- Statewide
- Local Only
- No
Does state law require election officials to provide at least one secure drop box per 30,000 voters, for at least one week prior to each general election?
- Yes
- Local Only
- No
Does state law allow mail ballots to be returned to a voter’s assigned polling place on or before Election Day?
- Yes
- No
Does state law allow mail ballots to be returned to a voter’s local elections office on or before Election Day?
- Yes
- No
Are all returned mail ballots verified based on voters’ signatures?
- Yes
- No
What other verification requirements exist for mail ballots?
Can mail ballots be counted before certification as long as they are postmarked by Election Day?
- Yes
- No
How long after Election Day must mail ballots with valid postmarks arrive to election offices in order to be counted?
- Election Day +#
- N/A (for state that do not accept ballots received after Election Day)
Does state law allow local officials to process, verify, and (if appropriate) accept for eventual counting received mail ballots prior to Election Day?
- Yes
- No
Are voters required to be notified and given sufficient time to correct and validate their ballots – e.g. if a signature is missing or deemed to not be a match?
- Yes
- No