In the months leading up to the 2020 election, the U.S. Postal Service has become yet another political battleground. The essential mail services that many Americans rely on have come under fire and threatened with defunding, even as the president makes efforts to cast doubt on the trustworthiness of voting by mail—all during a year in which many might feel it is unsafe to vote in person.
With the election just a month away, postal operations still in disarray. Last month, the USPS warned that in some states, there won’t be enough time between ballots going out to voters and Election Day deadlines for the votes to be returned and counted. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to ensure that your mail-in ballot is delivered in time regardless of what happens with USPS.
Vote early
Whether you expect to vote in person or by mail, make a plan right now. Check your state’s deadlines for requesting and submitting absentee ballots, and ensure your voter registration is up to date. In some states, mail-in ballots must be requested as much as 25 days prior to the election, so don’t waste any time.
Of course, just because you request your mail-in ballot now doesn’t mean you’ll receive it immediately, which is why USPS is concerned about narrow turnaround times. If you haven’t done it yet, request your ballot as soon as you can, then use one of the options below to submit it in a way that will reduce the burden on the Postal Service.
If you’re healthy and at low risk for COVID-19 and your state offers early in-person voting, you can consider going to the polls (and following very specific safety guidelines) instead of voting by mail. Lines are often shorter during early voting periods, especially if you go at off-peak hours.
Go directly to a ballot box
Almost all states accept mail-in ballots at county clerk or board of elections offices (here are some resources to find yours), so you can hand-deliver your ballot ahead of and through the end of Election Day. This is the safest option for the largest number of people, and even if your county office is out of the way, it’s well worth the effort to ensure your vote is counted.
In addition, 11 states offer ballot drop boxes in some or all counties. These are monitored and emptied by county or elections officials, not the USPS. Five of the 11 are the pre-pandemic universal vote-by-mail states (Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah, and Washington), plus Arizona, California, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, and New Mexico.
If your state isn’t on this list, check with your state or county elections office anyway to see if you have a drop box option for this tumultuous election cycle. In New Jersey, for example, all counties have been required to install at least 10 secure ballot drop boxes for the November general election.
Drop your ballot at your polling place
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 11 states plus DC allow voters to drop ballots off at a polling location in their county, either during early voting or on Election Day. Those states are Arizona, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Kansas, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.
If you live in New Hampshire or Vermont, you can deliver your ballot to a polling place in your assigned precinct. New Jersey will also accept mail-in ballots at voters’ designated polls.
Again, check with your local election officials to see if this option is available.
Help deliver ballots
This one is a little bit tricky, as many states have strict rules about who is allowed to handle an absentee ballot other than the voters whose names are on the envelope. If do you have family members or neighbors who can’t get to a ballot box, you may be able to deliver their ballot for them so they don’t have to rely on the mail.
Before you pick up someone else’s ballot, check your state’s rules on this chart.
Track your ballot
Regardless of how you submit your mail-in ballot, you may be able to track its progress to ensure your vote is counted. About half of all states have some sort of ballot tracking system.
This piece has been updated to include New Jersey in the list of states that is implementing ballot drop boxes and polling place drop-offs for the 2020 general election, as well as to provide updated context and a new header image.