2026 Mail Ballot Request and Return Deadlines by State
Find verified dates for requesting and returning a mail or absentee ballot. Deadlines and rules differ by state; each listed date links to its official source.
Sources checked . “Not yet verified” means this guide has no verified date for that category.
This page lists request and ballot return deadlines only. It preserves the official source's wording, method, and notes because postmark, receipt, delivery, and drop-box rules can differ. Do not infer a deadline from another state or from a date shown in a different category; open the linked state source and confirm current instructions.
Verified 2026 mail and absentee ballot request and return dates
Absentee by-mail application must arrive: · mail ballot request · received Official source ↗
Return a mailed absentee ballot: · mail · postmarkedPostmarked or received by Election Day; hand delivery to a voting location by 8 p.m. Check later receipt rules with the authority. Official source ↗
Mailed ballot postmark deadline / hand delivery deadline: · mail or hand delivery · postmarked for mail; received for deliveryHand delivery by 8 p.m.; mail must also arrive by November 10. Official source ↗
Mailed ballot must arrive: · mail · receivedMust have been postmarked on or before November 3. Official source ↗
Request an absentee ballot: · absentee request · receivedAllow time for delivery. Connecticut changed to no-excuse absentee voting in 2026. Official source ↗
Request a vote-by-mail ballot to be mailed: · mail · receivedRequest must reach the county Supervisor of Elections by 5 p.m. Official source ↗
Vote-by-mail ballot must arrive: · mail or drop-off · receivedMust reach the Supervisor of Elections by 7 p.m. local time; a postmark does not count. Official source ↗
Mail/absentee ballot must arrive: · mail or hand delivery · receivedA postmark does not count. Hand delivery by yourself until 5 p.m. Official source ↗
Absentee ballot request deadline (by mail): · mail or fax · received byPer SOS rule: 5 p.m. second Wednesday before election; in-person requests until day before. Official source ↗
Absentee ballot return deadline: · mail or delivery · received byMust be received by close of polls on Election Day. Official source ↗
Early voting ballot request deadline (by mail): · mail · receivedApplication must be received by 6 p.m. for a ballot to be mailed. Official source ↗
Early voting ballot return deadline: · mail, drop box or in person · receivedMust be in election office's possession by 8 p.m. CT / 7 p.m. MT; postmarks do not count. Official source ↗
Absentee ballot return deadline (in person): · in person · receivedHand-delivered ballots due at the local clerk by 5 p.m. the day before the election. Official source ↗
Absentee ballot return deadline (mail): · mail · receivedMailed ballots must reach the local clerk by 5 p.m. on Election Day. Official source ↗
Early mail/absentee ballot request deadline (online or mail): · online or mail · receivedOnline portal and mailed applications must be received by this date. Official source ↗
Early mail/absentee ballot request deadline (in person): · in person · received Official source ↗
Mail ballot return deadline: · mail or in person · postmarkPostmark or return in person by Election Day; mailed ballots must arrive by Nov 10. Official source ↗
Absentee ballot return deadline: · mail or in person · receivedMust be received by the county auditor by close of polls. North Dakota has no voter registration. Official source ↗
Absentee ballot application deadline: · mail · received byApplication must reach county board by 8:30 p.m. Official source ↗
Absentee ballot return deadline: · mail or in person · received byNon-UOCAVA ballots must be received by county board by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. Official source ↗
Absentee ballot hand-delivery deadline: · in person · received byHand-delivered ballots due to county election board by close of business the Monday before the election. Official source ↗
Absentee ballot return deadline (mail): · mail · received byMailed ballots must reach county election board by 7 p.m. election night. Official source ↗
Ballot by mail application must arrive: · application to early voting clerk · receivedA postmark does not count. Official source ↗
Mail ballot deadline: · mail · see sourceUnpostmarked ballots must arrive by 7 p.m.; ballots postmarked by 7 p.m. count if they arrive by 5 p.m. Nov 4. Official source ↗
Early/absentee ballot request deadline: · in person, mail or online · closesRequests until 5 p.m. or clerk office close on the day before the election. Official source ↗
Mail ballot return deadline: · mail or in person · received byTo town clerk by close of business Nov 2, or to polling place by 7 p.m. on Election Day. Official source ↗
Absentee ballot application deadline: · see source · receivedBy 5 p.m. Official source ↗
Mailed absentee ballot postmark deadline: · mail · postmarkedMust also reach your registrar by noon on the third day after the election. Official source ↗
Absentee ballot application deadline: · application · received byCounty clerk must receive application by the 6th day before the election. Official source ↗
Absentee ballot hand-delivery deadline: · in person · received by Official source ↗
Absentee ballot postmark deadline: · mail · postmarked byPostmarked by Election Day and received before canvass begins Nov 9; unpostmarked ballots accepted if received by Nov 4. Official source ↗
Absentee ballot request deadline (mail): · application · received byOfficial rule: request in clerk's office by 5 p.m. on 5th day before the election. Official source ↗
Absentee ballot return deadline: · mail or in person · received byMust be delivered to polling place/central count by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Official source ↗
Absentee ballot request deadline: · mail or in person · closesRequests accepted any time in 2026 prior to Election Day. Official source ↗
Absentee ballot return deadline: · mail or in person · received byMust reach county clerk by 7 p.m. on Election Day. Official source ↗
Questions people ask
What is the difference between a ballot request deadline and a return deadline?
A request deadline is the last date listed by the official source for applying for a mail or absentee ballot. A return deadline is the date by which the voted ballot must be returned under the rule shown in that state's source. Read the exact label, method, and notes, and open the official source for details.
Does a postmark date mean the ballot can arrive later?
It depends on the state's rule. This page preserves the source's wording, such as a postmark deadline or an arrival deadline. Check the linked official state source for the rule that applies to your ballot.
Why does a state say ‘Not yet verified’?
This guide does not currently have a verified request or return date for that category in its official-source data. It does not mean that no deadline or voting option exists. Use the linked election authority to check current information.
Where can I check how to request or return my ballot?
Open the official source linked beside the deadline. For additional state election office links, use the U.S. Election Assistance Commission's state directory.
For voter registration deadlines and early voting dates, see the state guide. For official state and local election information, use the EAC state directory ↗.