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Which states allow no-excuse absentee voting?

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David Meyers
By David MeyersJun 02, 2022
David Meyers

David Meyers is the Executive Editor of The Fulcrum. Before launching The Fulcrum, David spent more than two decades at CQ Roll Call, a leading publisher of political news and information. During his time there, David served as managing editor of Roll Call (“the newspaper of Capitol Hill”) and as managing editor of member information and research, which included co-editing the definitive biographical directory of Congress, “Politics in America.” David went on to lead all of CQ Roll Call’s congressional research teams as vice president of research and content development before shifting to a revenue and strategy role as vice president of business operations for Roll Call, working with the advertising and editorial teams to develop new revenue models and expand the company’s events business. David lives in Fairfax, Va., with his wife, two daughters and rottweiler. A graduate of Tufts University, David is a past president of the Tufts University Alumni Association. He is also a past president of the Washington Press Club Foundation, which works to celebrate and advance the role of women and minorities in the media. David currently serves on the board of directors for Temple B’nai Shalom in Fairfax Station.

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Rhode Island is on the verge of allowing any voter to use an absentee ballot without providing a specific reason. If Gov. Daniel McKee signs the bill, just 16 states will require would-be absentee voters to provide an excuse.

Currently, 25 states and the District of Columbia allow no-excuse absentee balloting, and an additional six have all-mail voting.

Proponents of universal absentee voting say such systems make it easier for more people to vote, particularly minorities, those who live in rural areas and people with disabilities. Advocates also claim that safeguards built into the system ensure mail voting is as secure as in-person balloting.

Opponents of no-excuse mail balloting believe it increases the risk of voter fraud and is an unreliable method of voting because ballots can become lost and the system introduces the possibility of errors such as mismatched signatures.

In states that require excuses, common options include illness, absence from the voting jurisdiction, disability and being a caregiver.

Amidst a raging pandemic, voting by mail surged in 2020 with a number of states loosening the rules, at least temporarily. That year, 46 percent of voters cast their ballot by mail; never before had even a quarter of voters used that method.

states that allow no-excuse absentee ballots

Even as mail voting has expanded, voters in New York strongly rejected a ballot proposal last year that would have instituted a no-excuse system. The result was unexpected as liberal-leaning states have embraced the concept more than conservative states.

Other states in the Northeast have debated similar proposals since the 2020 election.

Connecticut lawmakers have considered allowing a people to vote on a constitutional amendment that would permit no-excuse absentee ballots but have not been able to muster enough votes to advance the proposal.

In March 2021, Republicans in the New Hampshire legislature defeated a bill that would have established people to vote by mail with not excuse.


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