Elections & terms
absentee ballot
A ballot voted outside a polling place and returned by mail or drop-off. Some states require an excuse, most no longer do.
In full
Absentee and mail voting are the same mechanism under different names. Excuse-required states limit it to illness, travel, or similar reasons; no-excuse states let any voter request one; a few states mail a ballot to every registered voter automatically. Deadlines, signature verification, witness requirements, and whether a ballot postmarked by election day still counts all vary by state.
Also written as: mail ballot, vote by mail
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A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.