State by State - When Absentee/Mail Ballot Processing and Counting Can Begin

[consider_this]

Here is a handy chart, FYI, from the National Conference of State Legislatures that will help you find when your state begins to process absentee ballots, and when they begin counting them.

I have posted in other threads but another poster recommend I start as a new topic, so apologies if you've seen this from me before:
https://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/vopp-table-16-when-absentee-mail-ballot-processing-and-counting-can-begin.aspx

You will see there are quite a few that process before election night, but do not count until election night. I would think those that do not even process until election night will have the longest delays - however, check with your own state's board of elections to see the latest. For example, I have read one such state is trying to update so they can being processing sooner.

Oh, and please, if you already requested a mail ballot and are thinking about going in person instead - BE SURE to check the rules. You may have to bring the mail ballot to have it cancelled to allow you to vote, or other such rules - don't lost your right to casting your vote!

A poster in OH mentioned that if you had requested the mail ballot and you tried to then vote in person, you would only be able to vote a provisional ballot, which take many more days to count. I don't have all the details, maybe someone in OH can update here, but my point is simply, be very clear on what you have to do.

Let's VOTE victoriously!!!

[moonscape]

1. Great reference! n/t

[LisaL]

2. Here is what happens in OH.

"When will absentee votes be counted?

Ballots that are received before Election Day will be among the first to be counted, and should show up in totals shortly after polls close at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 3. Those that are late, but still postmarked by Nov. 2, will be counted if they arrive within 10 days after election. But they won’t be reported until the official results are certified on Nov. 24."

https://www.cleveland.com/open/2020/09/have-questions-about-your-ohio-absentee-ballot-application-heres-what-you-need-to-know.html

[Tom Rinaldo]

3. Thanks! Bookmarking n/t

[Doremus]

4. In Ohio don't vote on a provisional ballot unless it's a last resort.

They don't count them until long after the election, and many of them get thrown out for one (bogus) reason or another.

[Wounded Bear]

5. K & R...for visibility...

Good points, and why MSNBC has been pushing their "Plan Your Vote" campaign.

Everyone should inform themselves on the rules and regs in their state. Where I am (WA) is pretty well established, but in many states it looks like they have set traps in the procedures designed to reject as many ballots as possible.

Plan Your Vote and make sure you follow the rules in your jurisdiction.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

6. Holy cow...read this..

Link to tweet

?s=20

[consider_this]

7. Hilarious!

as in completely ludicrous

[rzemanfl]

11. He's a fucking crook. n/t

[consider_this]

12. There's no way...

such bullS#!t could be enacted, right?! How would there be any federal jurisdiction over state ballot counting rules? If that is a possible thing I am gonna blow!

[Boogiemack]

8. Thank you! nt

[crickets]

9. Great info - thanks! nt

[skip fox]

10. I just got my ballot today in Louisiana!

On the 2020 election, then, I can say so far so good (if I don't think about what I'm hearing).

[gristy]

13. In CA if you had requested the mail ballot and you tried to then vote in person,

you would only be able to vote a provisional ballot. When I learned exactly this from the poll worker in our primary, I went home and found my ballot!

[Blue_true]

19. My county Registrar has sent me a mail in ballot, even though I indicated that I planned to

vote in person in the General.

I will call the office and see what my options are. If getting the mail in ballot counted is the surest way, then I will turn it around as soon as I get it. My local Democratic Party Committee sent out recommendations on who to vote for and how to vote on amendments, so I have that. The only question that the party rec cleared up was who to vote for on School Board, I have the right person now and checked her history (longtime elementary school teacher, recognized as one of the county’s best one year, supports causes like Habitat for Humanity and Interfaith (a local charity that feeds homeless people, runs a big food pantry and helps with temporary housing for homeless people)).

[gristy]

20. Good! I also rely on Dem Party recommendations, and those of the local newspapers too.

[roamer65]

14. In Michigan...

If you are issued an absentee ballot and then you choose to vote in person, you must surrender the absentee ballot and then complete and sign an affidavit in order to vote in person on a regular ballot.

DO NOT THROW AWAY OR LOSE YOUR ABSENTEE BALLOT.

I will be going to my clerks office and making sure all is well before I submit my absentee.

They start counting absentees on Election Day.


This is according to my clerk.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

15. Interesting chart

[consider_this]

16. makes sense since...

in general 'rumpers don't have any respect for the virus.

I do not need them breathing anywhere near me - right now my plan is hand delivering my mail-in ballot. I will wait a couple weeks to keep my eye on any other potential outrageous developments.

[Blue_true]

17. My county registrar sent me a mail in ballot, even though after the primary I clearly

indicated that I planned to vote in person. I will call his office to see how I handle this situation. I would rather vote in person, but if that forces me to vote provisionally, I will send back the filled in mail ballot. I will call the Registrar’s office. The mail ballot was sent today according to the Registrar’s website, so I likely will get it within a week.

I have the ability to track the ballot status, that is how I saw that the mail ballot was sent today.

I guess that the office has gotten a crush of mail in ballot requests, and I did vote in the primary by mail, so maybe someone in the office over-looked my declaration that I didn’t want a mail in ballot for the General. That is life I guess, I will see what option I have.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

18. Oh lordy...my mind immediately goes to "trump scam?" What state?

[Blue_true]

21. Florida is the state.

Our County Registrar seems to be a stand-up person. I am sure that someone in his office didn’t notice that I had indicated that I wanted to vote in person in the General when I send in my Primary mail in ballot.

I checked my status about an hour ago and saw that the mail-in ballot was sent earlier today. Mail has been moving ok where I live, I should get the ballot by the end of next week. I can track every key step of the ballot. Once the office receives it back, they update that. Once the ballot is accepted, that is updated. And immediately after the ballot is accepted, it is counted, so if a ballot is sent back by Oct 15 and accepted by then, it is counted a couple days later, so such vote totals are known well before Nov 3. Joe has secured a lot of lawyers, my guess is that one or more will be monitoring my county, given that it has over a quarter of a million voters.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

23. Wow didn't know any states were doing that in primaries. Do

They know you're a Dem?

[Blue_true]

25. Yes, they know that I am a Dem.

In my county there are 119,000 republicans, 83,000 Democrats and 59,000 Independents. So, even though the county is red, it is not overwhelmingly so, in fact, Democrats have gained on republicans in voter registration within the last two years. Our problem is that young people mostly leave the county, if they go off to college, though more are staying in the big healthcare complex in the county.

[grobertj]

22. This doesn't sound too bad to me.

Unless I'm misreading, most of the Mail In ballots in the contested states will be processed and counted no later than Election Day.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

24. Not as bad as I thought. But the authenticating process is the kicker.