Here's how to track your mail-in ballot in each state

The expansion of voting by mail this year as part of states’ efforts to make the election process safer during the coronavirus pandemic has contributed to early voting records being shattered across the country. As of late last week, over 21 million votes had already been cast in the 2020 election.

Elections experts say that voting by mail is just as secure as voting in person, refuting baseless attacks on the process by Republicans from Donald Trump on down. U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, who has been accused of helping Trump undermine the operations of the U.S. Postal Service in the run-up to the election, claimed during a hearing of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in August that the agency is “fully capable and committed to delivering the nation’s election mail securely and on time.”

Below is a guide to how you can check your voter registration and the status of your mailed ballots based on where you live. The sites require your full name and date of birth, with the additional information required depending on the state.

In most states, the deadline for mail-in ballots to be received by election officials is Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3. A number of states have deadlines a few days later.

Alabama

Confirm your registration status, ballot status, polling location, and address on the official state Alabama Votes site. The site notes: “An absentee ballot returned by mail must be postmarked no later than the day prior to the election and received by the Absentee Election Manager no later than noon on election day.”

Alaska

Check your voter registration status, polling place location, absentee application, and ballot status through the website of the state’s Division of Elections. Absentee ballots must be postmarked on or by Election Day and received by election officials by Nov. 13. Any ballots sent from overseas outside of the U.S. must be received by Nov. 18.

Arizona

Check the status of your mail ballot through the online Arizona Voter Information Portal. Ballots must be returned by 7 p.m. on Election Day.

Arkansas

Confirm your address, party association, ballot status, and polling place location via the Arkansas Elections Division website. Mail ballots must be received by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.

California

Check your voter status through the website of the California secretary of state. Track your mail ballot, including when it’s mailed, received, and counted, through the Where’s My Ballot? portal. Ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 3 and received by Nov. 20.

Colorado

Manage your voter registration via the Go Vote Colorado website. Track the status of your mail ballot, from mailed to accepted, through Colorado’s BallotTrax site. Your ballots are due by 7 p.m. on Election Day.

Connecticut

Check your registration status and track your absentee ballot via the secretary of state’s website. Ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Delaware

Review your registration, request an absentee ballot, or check the status of your absentee ballot through the state’s Department of Elections. Ballots must be returned by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3.

Florida

Check your voter registration, voting status, polling place, sample ballot, and vote-by-mail ballot status via the Department of State’s website. Ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day.

Georgia

Check your voter registration status, mail-in application status, ballot status, poll location, early voting locations, and provisional ballot status via the secretary of state’s My Voter Page. Ballots are due by 7 p.m. on Nov. 3.

Hawaii

View your registration and ballot status, and check your mailing address via the state Office of Elections website. Ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on Nov. 3.

Idaho

Search for your polling location, voter record, and track your absentee ballot status through the website of the secretary of state’s office. Ballots are due by 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Illinois

Check your registration status on the state Board of Elections website. Track your ballot by contacting your local election authority by phone or email. Ballots must be postmarked on or before Nov. 3 and received by Nov. 17.

Indiana

Check voter registration and track your ballot status on the secretary of state’s Voter Portal. Ballots must be received by noon on Election Day.

Iowa

Track your absentee ballot through the secretary of state’s website. Ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 2 and received no later than noon on Nov. 9.

Kansas

Confirm your address, party association, ballot status, and polling place location through the secretary of state’s VoterView site. Ballots must be postmarked by close of business on Nov. 3 and received by 5 p.m. on Nov. 6.

Kentucky

Check your voter registration and absentee ballot status through the state’s board of elections. Ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 3 and received by 6 p.m. on Nov. 6.

Louisiana

Track the status of your absentee ballot through the secretary of state’s Geaux Vote portal. Ballots must be received by 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 2, the earliest deadline of all the states.

Maine

Track the status of your absentee ballot via the secretary of state’s website. Ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3.

Maryland

Review your voter registration record, request a duplicate voter registration card, find out where to vote, and see the status of your mail-in or provisional ballot via the Maryland State Board of Elections website. Ballots must be postmarked on or before Nov. 3 and received by 10 a.m. on Nov. 13.

Massachusetts

Track your mail-in ballot via the website of the secretary of the commonwealth. Ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 3 and received by Nov. 6.

Michigan

View your registration status, polling place, and track your absentee ballot through the Michigan Voter Information Center website. Ballots are due by 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Minnesota

Track the status of your absentee or mail ballot via the secretary of state’s website. Your ballot must be postmarked on or before Nov. 3 and received no later than Nov. 10.

Mississippi

The state does not offer ballot status tracking, but you can contact your county to make sure they received your ballot. Mail-in absentee ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 3 and received by Nov. 10.

Missouri

Although the state does not offer ballot status tracking, you can contact your county to verify the status of your ballot. The city of St. Louis offers ballot tracking via its Board of Election Commissioners. Ballots are due by 7 p.m. on Election Day.

Montana

Check if you are registered to vote, your polling location, and the status of your mailed ballot via the secretary of state. Ballots must be received in your election office or polling place by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3.

Nebraska

Confirm your address, party association, ballot status, and polling place location on the state’s Voter Information Lookup website. Ballots must be received by 8 p.m. CST/7 p.m. MST on Election Day.

Nevada

Track the status of your mail-in ballot, from printed to accepted, through BallotTrax. Verify your voter registration information, request an absentee ballot, and find a polling location through the secretary of state’s website. Ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and received no later than Nov. 10.

New Hampshire

Track the status of your absentee ballot via the secretary of state’s website. Ballots must be received by 5 p.m. on Nov. 3.

New Jersey

Track the progress of your ballot through the secretary of state’s voter information portal. Ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 3 and received by 8 p.m. on Nov. 10.

New Mexico

View your voter registration information, voting locations, your absentee application, and ballot status via the secretary of state’s voter services website. Ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day.

New York

Military and overseas absentee ballot voters can track the status of their ballots through the state’s board of elections.  All other voters should contact their local or county board of elections. New York City voters can track their absentee ballots via the city board of elections’ ballot tracker. Ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 3. and received by the board of elections by Nov. 10.

North Carolina

Get voter information through the state board of elections website. Track the status of your mail-in ballot, from printed to accepted, through BallotTrax. Your ballot must be received by 5 p.m. on Election Day or postmarked by Nov. 3 and received by 5 p.m. on Nov. 6.

North Dakota

Track the status of your absentee ballot via the secretary of state’s tracker. Your ballot must be postmarked by Nov. 2 and received by the county canvassing board by Nov. 9.

Ohio

Track your ballot by county through the secretary of state’s voter toolkit webpage. Ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 2 and received by the board of elections by Nov. 13.

Oklahoma

Track your ballot through the state’s voter portal on the Oklahoma State Election Board website. Your ballot must be received by 7 p.m. on Nov. 3.

Oregon

Check your voter registration or track your ballot through the secretary of state’s My Vote portal. Ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3.

Pennsylvania

Check your election ballot status via the Department of State’s website. Your ballot must be postmarked by Nov. 3 and received by 5 p.m. on Nov. 6.

Rhode Island

Update your voter information, check your polling location, and track your mail ballot status through the secretary of state’s voter information website. Ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3.

South Carolina

Track your absentee ballot status via the states’ elections commission. Ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day.

South Dakota

See your absentee ballot status through the secretary of state’s website. Your ballots must be received on or before Nov. 3.

Tennessee

Check your voter registration and track your absentee ballot status via the secretary of state’s website. Your county election commission must receive your ballot by the time polls close on Nov. 3, which varies by county.

Texas

Military members and their families, as well as U.S. citizens living overseas, can track their ballots via the secretary of state’s ballot tracker. Other voters can verify the status of their ballots via their county’s elections administrator. Ballots must be postmarked by 7 p.m. on Nov. 3 and received by 5 p.m. on Nov. 4.

Utah

Track your mail ballot via the state’s Vote.Utah.gov website. Ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 2 and received by Nov. 17.

Vermont

Check your voter registration, poll location, absentee ballot status, mail-in application, and ballot status on the secretary of state’s My Voter Page. Ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on Nov. 3.

Virginia

View your voter registration, polling place, and absentee ballot status on the Citizen Portal provided by the state’s department of elections. Ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 3 and received in your local registrar by noon on Nov. 6.

Washington

Track your ballot through the VoteWa.gov website. Ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 3 and received by Nov. 23.

Washington, D.C.

Track your ballot status via the district’s board of elections. Ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 3 and received by Nov. 13.

West Virginia

Track your absentee ballot status via the secretary of state. Ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and received in the county clerk’s office by Nov. 9.

Wisconsin

Check your voter record and track your absentee ballot through the state’s My Voter Info site. Ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Wyoming

Although the state does not offer ballot status tracking, you can contact your county clerk for information on the status of your ballot or verify voter information via the secretary of state ballot tracker. Ballots must be received in the county clerk’s office by 7 p.m. on Nov. 3.