Last updated: September 26, 2023

Absentee and mail ballot return methods

All states allow you to return your absentee or mail ballot by mail or a commercial courier. Some states have restrictions on where you can hand-deliver your ballot. The table below shows the locations where you can return your completed absentee or mail ballot to ensure that it is counted.

Don't have your ballot yet? Request a ballot here.

If you lost your ballot, never received a ballot, or received a ballot and need to vote in person, find out what options are available in your state.

If anything on this page is incorrect, please fill out this form.

State	Hand-delivery options	Hand-delivered ballot return deadline	Mailed ballot return deadline
Alabama	Dropbox: No Election office: Yes Early voting location: No Polling place: No	Received by 1 day BEFORE Election Day	Received by 1 day before Election Day
Alaska	Dropbox: Yes Election office: Yes Early voting location: Yes Polling place: Yes	Received by Election Day	Postmarked by Election Day
Arizona	Dropbox: Yes Election office: Yes Early voting location: Yes Polling place: Yes	Received by Election Day	Received by Election Day
Arkansas	Dropbox: No Election office: Yes Early voting location: No Polling place: No	Received by 1 day BEFORE Election Day	Received by Election Day
California	Dropbox: Yes Election office: Yes Early voting location: Yes Polling place: Yes	Received by Election Day	Postmarked by Election Day
Colorado	Dropbox: Yes Election office: Yes Early voting location: Yes Polling place: Yes	Received by Election Day	Received by Election Day
Connecticut	Dropbox: Yes Election office: Yes Early voting location: No Polling place: No	Received by Election Day if proxy deliverer, or 1 day BEFORE Election Day if delivered by voter	Received by Election Day
Delaware	Dropbox: No Election office: Yes Early voting location: No Polling place: No	Received by Election Day	Received by Election Day
District of Columbia	Dropbox: Yes Election office: No Early voting location: Yes Polling place: Yes	Received by Election Day	Postmarked by Election Day
Florida	Dropbox: Yes Election office: Yes Early voting location: Yes Polling place: No	Received by Election Day	Received by Election Day
Georgia	Dropbox: Yes Election office: Yes Early voting location: No Polling place: No	Received by Election day	Received by Election Day
Hawaii	Dropbox: Yes Election office: Yes Early voting location: Yes Polling place: No	Received by Election Day	Received by Election Day
Idaho	Dropbox: Yes Election office: Yes Early voting location: No Polling place: No	Received by Election Day	Received by Election Day
Illinois	Dropbox: Yes Election office: Yes Early voting location: No Polling place: No	Received by Election Day	Postmarked by Election Day
Indiana	Dropbox: No Election office: Yes Early voting location: No Polling place: No	Received by Election Day	Received by Election Day
Iowa	Dropbox: Yes Election office: Yes Early voting location: No Polling place: No	Received by Election Day	Received by Election Day
Kansas	Dropbox: Yes Election office: Yes Early voting location: Yes Polling place: Yes	Received by Election Day	Postmarked by Election Day
Kentucky	Dropbox: Yes Election office: Yes Early voting location: No Polling place: No	Received by Election Day	Received by Election Day
Louisiana	Dropbox: No Election office: Yes Early voting location: No Polling place: No	Received by 1 day BEFORE Election Day	Received by 1 day BEFORE Election Day
Maine	Dropbox: No Election office: Yes Early voting location: No Polling place: No	Received by Election Day	Received by Election Day
Maryland	Dropbox: Yes Election office: Yes Early voting location: Yes Polling place: Yes	Received by Election Day	Postmarked by Election Day
Massachusetts	Dropbox: Yes Election office: Yes Early voting location: No Polling place: No	Received by Election Day	Postmarked by Election Day
Michigan	Dropbox: Yes Election office: Yes Early voting location: No Polling place: No	Received by Election Day	Received by Election Day
Minnesota	Dropbox: No Election office: Yes Early voting location: No Polling place: No	Received by Election Day	Received by Election Day
Mississippi	Dropbox: No Election office: No Early voting location: No Polling place: No	You cannot hand-deliver your mail-in ballot in Mississippi. You must put your voted ballot in the mailbox.	Postmarked by Election Day
Missouri	Dropbox: No Election office: Yes Early voting location: No Polling place: Yes	Received by Election Day	Received by Election Day
Montana	Dropbox: Yes Election office: Yes Early voting location: No Polling place: Yes	Received by Election Day	Received by Election Day
Nebraska	Dropbox: Yes Election office: Yes Early voting location: No Polling place: No	Received by Election Day	Received by Election Day
Nevada	Dropbox: Yes Election office: Yes Early voting location: Yes Polling place: Yes	Received by Election Day	Postmarked by Election Day
New Hampshire	Dropbox: No Election office: Yes Early voting location: No Polling place: No	Received by Election Day	Received by Election Day
New Jersey	Dropbox: Yes Election office: Yes Early voting location: No Polling place: No	Received by Election Day	Postmarked by Election Day
New Mexico	Dropbox: Yes Election office: Yes Early voting location: Yes Polling place: Yes	Received by Election Day	Received by Election Day
New York	Dropbox: No Election office: Yes Early voting location: Yes Polling place: Yes	Received by Election Day	Postmarked by Election Day
North Carolina	Dropbox: No Election office: Yes Early voting location: Yes Polling place: No	Received by Election Day	Postmarked by Election Day
North Dakota	Dropbox: Yes Election office: Yes Early voting location: No Polling place: No	Received by 1 day BEFORE Election Day	Postmarked by 1 day before Election Day
Ohio	Dropbox: Yes Election office: Yes Early voting location: No Polling place: No	Received by Election Day	Postmarked by 1 day before Election Day
Oklahoma	Dropbox: No Election office: Yes Early voting location: No Polling place: No	Received by Election Day	Received by Election Day
Oregon	Dropbox: Yes Election office: Yes Early voting location: No Polling place: No	Received by Election Day	Postmarked by Election Day
Pennsylvania	Dropbox: Yes Election office: Yes Early voting location: No Polling place: No	Received by Election Day	Received by Election Day
Rhode Island	Dropbox: Yes Election office: Yes Early voting location: No Polling place: No	Received by Election Day	Received by Election Day
South Carolina	Dropbox: No Election office: Yes Early voting location: No Polling place: No	Received by Election Day	Received by Election Day
South Dakota	Dropbox: No Election office: Yes Early voting location: No Polling place: No	Received by Election Day	Received by Election Day
Tennessee	Dropbox: No Election office: No Early voting location: No Polling place: No	You cannot hand-deliver your mail-in ballot in Tennessee. You must put your voted ballot in the mailbox.	Received by Election Day
Texas	Dropbox: Yes Election office: Yes Early voting location: No Polling place: No	Received by Election Day	Received by Election Day
Utah	Dropbox: Yes Election office: No Early voting location: No Polling place: No	Received by Election Day	Postmarked by 1 day before Election Day
Vermont	Dropbox: No Election office: Yes Early voting location: No Polling place: Yes	Received by Election Day	Received by Election Day
Virginia	Dropbox: Yes Election office: Yes Early voting location: No Polling place: Yes	Received by Election Day	Postmarked by Election Day
Washington	Dropbox: Yes Election office: Yes Early voting location: No Polling place: No	Received by Election Day	Postmarked by Election Day
West Virginia	Dropbox: No Election office: Yes Early voting location: No Polling place: No	Received by 1 day BEFORE Election Day	Postmarked by Election Day
Wisconsin	Dropbox: No Election office: Yes Early voting location: Yes Polling place: Yes	Received by Election Day	Received by Election Day
Wyoming	Dropbox: No Election office: Yes Early voting location: No Polling place: No	Received by Election Day	Received by Election Day