How to return your mail-in ballot without using the postal service

Aug 17, 2020

Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images

There are 44 states that don't require any reason to vote by mail or allow concerns about COVID-19 as a valid reason. All 44 states provide alternatives to the USPS to return your mail-in ballot. The details of these alternative return methods are listed below.

Six states — New York, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas — still require a reason beyond COVID-19 to vote by mail. Those states are not included in this list.

REQUESTING A MAIL-IN BALLOT: This page has information on how to return your mail-in ballot without using the United States Postal Service. You can find information on how to request an absentee ballot here.
DEADLINES: Most, but not all, states require a mail-in to be returned by election day. You can find the precise deadline for your state here.

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Several states are considering additional options for the return of mail-in ballots. This page will be updated regularly.

Alabama: You can hand-deliver your ballot to the Absentee Election Manager’s office in your county. You can look up the address of your county Absentee Election Manager office here. Hand-delivered ballots must be returned to the Absentee Election Manager by the close of business (but no later than 5 p.m.) on the day prior to the election.

Alaska: You can return your ballot at any drop box, Division of Elections office, or voting location. Drop box locations are listed here and voting locations are listed here.

Arizona: You can return your ballot at any ballot dropbox, drop-off location, early voting location, or Election Day voting location in your county. You can find information about drop-off and voting locations in your county here. Ballots must be received by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day.

Arkansas: You can hand-deliver your ballot to the office of the county clerk. You can look up the address of your county clerk here. Ballots must be delivered by close of business the day before an election.

California: You can return your ballot at one of your country’s ballot drop boxes, a polling location, or the office of your county election official. You can find the locations of drop boxes and voting centers here. You can find the location of your county election office here. Ballots returned at a drop box must be deposited by 8:00 p.m. on November 3, 2020.

Colorado: You can return your ballot at a drop box or dropoff location. Locations will be listed on your county clerk’s website which you can find here. Some counties will offer drive-through drop-offs. Beginning October 19, you can also drop off your ballot at a voter center. Ballots must be received by 7pm on election day.

Connecticut: You can hand-deliver your ballot to your town clerk via the secure drop box that the Office of the Secretary of the State has provided to each town. You can look up the address of your town clerk here. All ballots must be received by the close of polls, 8 p.m. on election day.

Delaware: You can hand-deliver your ballot to the Department of Elections office in your county. Secure ballot drop boxes are available in each county office and will be open until 8 p.m. on election day. You can look up the address of your county Department of Elections office here.

DC: You can return your ballot at a drop box, polling location, or the Board of Elections office. The location of the Board of Elections office is available here. Information on drop boxes can be found here. Polling locations can be found here. Completed ballots must be dropped off by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3.

Florida: You can return your ballot at a drop box in your county. Drop boxes can be found at the Supervisors of Elections' main and branch offices and at designated early voting sites in the county. Visit your county Supervisors of Elections' website for more information. You can look up the website and contact information for your supervisor of elections here. Ballots must be received by your county by 7p.m. on Election Day.

Georgia: You can return your ballot to a drop-off location or your county registrar’s office. Contact your county registrar for available drop-off locations. Here’s also an up-to-date list of county drop box locations. Ballots must be received by your county by 7 p.m. on Election Day. (Note: the list is managed by the Democratic Party of Georgia)

Hawaii: You can return your ballot to a Voter Services Center or designated "places of deposit." You can view all Voter Services Center and Places of Deposit here. Ballots must be returned by 7 p.m. on Election Day.

Idaho: You can return your ballot to your local county clerk’s office or at a drop box location depending on your county. You can find the address and website of your county clerk here. Ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Illinois: You can hand-deliver your ballot to your local election authority or, depending on your election jurisdiction, at a drop box. You can find a list of drop box locations here and look up the address of your local election authority here. Ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day.

Iowa: You can hand-deliver your ballot to your county auditor's office. Many county auditor's offices also have ballot drop boxes. You can find the address of your county auditor here. Ballots must be received before polls close at 9 p.m. on Election Day.

Kansas: You can hand-deliver your ballot to your county election office. Most counties will also have designated ballot drop box locations. You can find your county election office here. You can also drop off your ballot at an advanced voting location or a polling location in your county. Ballots must be returned by 7 p.m. on Election Day.

Kentucky: You can return your ballot at a drop box. County clerks will determine the locations of the drop boxes. You can look up the contact information for your county clerk here. Ballots must be returned by 6 p.m. on Election Day.

Maine: You can return your ballot to your municipal clerk. You can look up the address of your municipal clerk here. Some towns and cities are also offering drop boxes. Ballots must be received by the municipal clerk by 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Maryland: You can drop your ballot off at your local board of elections, an early voting center, an election day voting center, or a ballot drop-off box. Ballots must be received by the time the polls close.

Massachusetts: You can hand-deliver your ballot to your local election office. You can look up the address and contact information of your local election office here. Some areas are providing drop boxes. Contact your local election office for the location of the drop boxes. Ballots must be delivered before the polls close.

Michigan: You can return your ballot to your local clerk’s office or their drop box. You can find your clerk’s contact information here and drop box locations here. Ballots must be delivered before the polls close.

Minnesota: You can return your ballot to the election office that sent your ballot. You can find the address of your county election office here. Some jurisdictions are also providing drop-off locations. Ballots must be returned no later than 3 p.m. on Election Day to the election office that sent your ballot.

Missouri: You can hand-deliver your absentee ballot to your local election authority. You can look up the address of your local election authority here. Mail-in ballots must be returned through the USPS. Ballots must be delivered before the polls close.

Montana: You can hand-deliver your ballot to your county election office or drop it off at any polling location in your county on election day. You can find the location of your county election office here. Ballots must be delivered by 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Nebraska: You can hand-deliver your ballot to your county election office or a designated drop box. You can look up the address of your county election office here. To find drop box locations, you can check your county election commission site. Ballots must be delivered before the polls close.

Nevada: You can hand-deliver your ballot to a drop-off location. Ballot drop-off locations can be found here. Ballots returned at a drop-off location must be dropped off before 7 p.m. on Election Day.

New Hampshire: You can hand-deliver your ballot to your local city or town clerk. You can look up the address of your clerk here. You can also drop off your ballot at your assigned polling location on Election Day. Ballots must be received no later than 5 p.m. on Election Day.

New Jersey: You can hand-deliver your ballot to your county board of elections office, a ballot drop box, or your polling place. You can find the location of your county board of election office here. Drop box locations can be found here. Ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day.

New Mexico: You can hand-deliver your ballot to your local county clerk. You can look up the location of your local county clerk here. You can also drop off your ballot at any in-person voting location in your county during Early Voting or Election Day. Ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day.

North Carolina: You can return your ballot to your county board of elections office or an open Early Voting site during the Early Voting period. You can find the location of your county board of elections office here and early voting sites here. Ballots must be received by 5 p.m. on Election Day.

North Dakota: You can hand-deliver your ballot to your county auditor’s office. You can find your county auditor’s office here. Ballots must be returned the day before the election.

Ohio: You can return your ballot to your county board of elections office. You can look up the address of your county board of elections here. Ballots must be received no later than 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.

Oklahoma: If you requested a “standard” absentee ballot, you can hand-deliver your ballot to your county election board. You can look up the address of your county election board here. Ballots must be returned no later than the end of business hours on the day before the election

Oregon: You can return your ballot at a drop box. You can contact your County Elections office here to find drop box locations. Oregon’s Secretary of State Office also has a statewide drop box locator. Ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Night.

Pennsylvania: You can hand-deliver your ballot to your county election office or an officially designated site. You can find the location of your county election office here. Some counties are also providing drop boxes. You can find your county mail ballot return or election voting location here. Ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Night.

Rhode Island: You can hand-deliver your ballot to the Board of Elections or drop your ballot at a secure 24-hour dropbox location. You can find the address for the Board of Elections here. You can find drop box locations here. Ballots must be received by 8 p.m. Election Night.

South Dakota: You can return your ballot to your county election official. You can look up the address of your county election official here. Lincoln County and Minnehaha County have ballot drop boxes. Note ballots must be “received by your County Election Official on Election Day in enough time to deliver your ballot to your voting precinct before the polls close.”

Utah: You can return your ballot at a dropbox. You can look up drop box locations here. You can also return your ballot to an Early Voting or Election Day Vote Center. Ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Night.

Vermont: You can hand-deliver your ballot to the town clerk's office. You can find the location of your town clerk here. You can also drop off your ballot at your assigned polling location on election day. Ballots must be received by the town clerk’s office before the close of the office on the day before the election, or to the polling place before 7 p.m. on Election Day, in order to be counted.

Virginia: You can hand-deliver your ballot to any drop-off location in your county or city. Drop-off locations are at your local registrar's office, at every voter satellite office in your county/city, and at each polling place in your county/city on Election Day. You can find the location of your local registrar here and drop-off locations here. Ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day.

Washington: You can return your ballot at a dropbox. You can look up dropbox locations based on your County Auditor or voter registration. Ballots must be returned to a ballot drop box by 8 p.m. on Election Day.

West Virginia: You can hand-deliver your ballot to your county clerk's office. You can look up the address of your county clerk here. Ballots must be returned to the County Clerk’s office by the day before the election.

Wisconsin: You can drop your absentee ballot in person at your local municipal clerk's office, your polling place or central count location, or a drop box if available. You can find the address for your municipal clerk here and your polling place here. Ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Night.

Wyoming: You can return your ballot to your county clerk’s office. You can look up the address of your county clerk here. Ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day.