Mailing-it-in: The history and math behind mail-in-voting

"Mailing it in" has been in practice since the 1860's, used widely during the Civil War and helped bring about a Lincoln presidency

Mail-in voting and past elections

Since 1996, #MailInVoting has increased in usage overtime, with over 20% of voters "mailing-it-in" the last presidential election

Overwhelming votes via mail-in ballot

How widely used is mail-in voting? Just take a look at 2016 where 97% of votes in Oregon and Washington were mail-in ballots

States that vote exclusively by mail-in ballot

Currently, 5 states use mail-in ballots exclusively for voting: Oregon, Colorado, Washington, Utah, and Hawaii 

Voting absentee during coronavirus

With COVID-19 still prevalent across the U.S., a majority of states now allow their voters to claim the pandemic as a reason to vote absentee.

Where are *you* voting this year?

Voter fraud

While President Trump continues to question the accuracy and safety of mail-in voting, cases of voter fraud are actually quite rare

According to the Heritage Foundation, since 1998, there have only been 210 cases of absentee fraud in all 50 states

Absentee votes accepted in 2016

An overwhelming amount of voters used absentee voting the last presidential election -- a majority of which were accepted. 

Missing the deadline

While more Americans are likely to use mail-in voting for the 2020 election than prior years, voters could face a learning curve in voting and ensuring their ballot arrives in time to be counted. 

The most common reason for a ballot being rejected? Missing the deadline to submit 

Rise in voter turnout

An unlikely benefit from mail-in voting: Surges in voter turnout

The U.S. election commission found universal voting by mail increased participation by 2%

A look at the 2016 election showed states with exclusive mail-in ballots had higher voter turnout than the national average