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Permanent absentee voting

Definitions

  • Excuse required: only voters who can't vote in person are allowed to vote using an absentee ballot
  • No excuse absentee voting: no excuse required, but you can only request an absentee ballot for one election at a time
  • Semi-permanent absentee voting: voters can sign up once to receive ballots for at least 1 calendar year. In Florida, one request is good for one election cycle (example: 2023 and 2024, or 2025 and 2026)
  • Permanent absentee voting (PAV): voters can sign up once to receive ballots in the mail for at least the next 4 years
  • Universal VBM: all elections are held by mail

A map of the United States of America with a color coded key to display levels of absentee ballot access.

Summary

Excuse required to vote absentee
AlabamaArkansasConnecticutDelawareIndianaKentuckyLouisianaMississippiMissouriNew HampshireSouth CarolinaTennesseeTexasWest Virginia
No-excuse absentee voting
GeorgiaIowaKansasMaineNebraskaNorth CarolinaOhioRhode Island
Semi-permanent absentee voting
AlaskaFloridaIdahoMassachusettsMinnesotaNew YorkNorth DakotaOklahomaPennsylvaniaSouth DakotaWisconsinWyoming
Permanent absentee voting
ArizonaIllinoisMarylandMichiganMontanaNew JerseyNew MexicoVirginia
Universal vote by mail
CaliforniaColoradoDistrict of ColumbiaHawaiiNevadaOregonUtahVermontWashington

Details

AlabamaExcuse required
No
No
valid for 1 electionRequest your Alabama absentee or mail ballot
AlaskaSemi-permanent
Yes
No
valid for 1 calendar yearRequest your Alaska absentee or mail ballot
ArizonaPermanent
Yes
Yes
valid indefinitelyRequest your Arizona absentee or mail ballot
ArkansasExcuse required
No
No
valid for 1 electionRequest your Arkansas absentee or mail ballot
CaliforniaUniversal
Yes
Yes
Request your California absentee or mail ballot
ColoradoUniversal
Yes
Yes
Request your Colorado absentee or mail ballot
ConnecticutExcuse required
Yes
No
valid for 1 electionRequest your Connecticut absentee or mail ballot
DelawareExcuse required
Yes
No
valid for 1 electionRequest your Delaware absentee or mail ballot
District of ColumbiaUniversal
Yes
Yes
Request your District of Columbia absentee or mail ballot
FloridaSemi-permanent
No
No
valid for 1 two-year election cycle (ex: 2023-2024, 2025-2026)Request your Florida absentee or mail ballot
GeorgiaNo-excuse
No
No
valid for 1 electionRequest your Georgia absentee or mail ballot
HawaiiUniversal
Yes
Yes
Request your Hawaii absentee or mail ballot
IdahoSemi-permanent
No
No
valid for 1 calendar yearRequest your Idaho absentee or mail ballot
IllinoisPermanent
No
Yes
valid indefinitelyRequest your Illinois absentee or mail ballot
IndianaExcuse required
No
No
valid for 1 electionRequest your Indiana absentee or mail ballot
IowaNo-excuse
No
No
valid for 1 electionRequest your Iowa absentee or mail ballot
KansasNo-excuse
Yes
No
valid for 1 electionRequest your Kansas absentee or mail ballot
KentuckyExcuse required
No
No
valid for 1 electionRequest your Kentucky absentee or mail ballot
LouisianaExcuse required
Yes
Yes
valid for 1 primary and general electionRequest your Louisiana absentee or mail ballot
MaineNo-excuse
Yes
Yes
valid for 1 electionRequest your Maine absentee or mail ballot
MarylandPermanent
No
Yes
valid indefinitelyRequest your Maryland absentee or mail ballot
MassachusettsSemi-permanent
No
No
valid for 1 calendar yearRequest your Massachusetts absentee or mail ballot
MichiganPermanent
Yes
Yes
valid indefinitelyRequest your Michigan absentee or mail ballot
MinnesotaSemi-permanent
Yes
No
valid for 1 calendar year, permanent absentee voting will be available June 1, 2024Request your Minnesota absentee or mail ballot
MississippiExcuse required
Yes
No
valid for 1 electionRequest your Mississippi absentee or mail ballot
MissouriExcuse required
Yes
No
valid for 1 electionRequest your Missouri absentee or mail ballot
MontanaPermanent
Yes
Yes
valid indefinitelyRequest your Montana absentee or mail ballot
NebraskaNo-excuse
No
No
valid for 1 electionRequest your Nebraska absentee or mail ballot
NevadaUniversal
Yes
Yes
Request your Nevada absentee or mail ballot
New HampshireExcuse required
Yes
No
valid for 1 electionRequest your New Hampshire absentee or mail ballot
New JerseyPermanent
Yes
Yes
valid indefinitelyRequest your New Jersey absentee or mail ballot
New MexicoPermanent
No
Yes
valid indefinitelyRequest your New Mexico absentee or mail ballot
New YorkSemi-permanent
Yes
No
valid for 1 calendar yearRequest your New York absentee or mail ballot
North CarolinaNo-excuse
No
No
valid for 1 electionRequest your North Carolina absentee or mail ballot
North DakotaSemi-permanent
No
No
valid for 1 calendar yearRequest your North Dakota absentee or mail ballot
OhioNo-excuse
No
No
valid for 1 electionRequest your Ohio absentee or mail ballot
OklahomaSemi-permanent
No
No
valid for 1 calendar yearRequest your Oklahoma absentee or mail ballot
OregonUniversal
Yes
Yes
Request your Oregon absentee or mail ballot
PennsylvaniaSemi-permanent
No
No
valid for 1 calendar yearRequest your Pennsylvania absentee or mail ballot
Rhode IslandNo-excuse
No
No
valid for 1 electionRequest your Rhode Island absentee or mail ballot
South CarolinaExcuse required
No
No
valid for 1 electionRequest your South Carolina absentee or mail ballot
South DakotaSemi-permanent
No
No
valid for 1 calendar yearRequest your South Dakota absentee or mail ballot
TennesseeExcuse required
Yes
No
valid for 1 electionRequest your Tennessee absentee or mail ballot
TexasExcuse required
No
No
valid for 1 electionRequest your Texas absentee or mail ballot
UtahUniversal
Yes
Yes
Request your Utah absentee or mail ballot
VermontUniversal
No
Yes
Request your Vermont absentee or mail ballot
VirginiaPermanent
No
Yes
valid indefinitelyRequest your Virginia absentee or mail ballot
WashingtonUniversal
Yes
Yes
Request your Washington absentee or mail ballot
West VirginiaExcuse required
Yes
No
valid for 1 electionRequest your West Virginia absentee or mail ballot
WisconsinSemi-permanent
Yes
Yes
valid for 1 calendar yearRequest your Wisconsin absentee or mail ballot
WyomingSemi-permanent
No
No
valid for 1 calendar yearRequest your Wyoming absentee or mail ballot