Voting by Mail

One way to vote is in your own home by a vote-by-mail ballot. Everyone who has the right to vote is permitted to vote by mail.

Steps to Vote by Mail

1. Request your ballot

You or an immediate family member can request your ballot on your local Supervisor of Elections website. You must request a Vote by Mail ballot by 5 pm of the sixth day before the election.

Vote-by-Mail ‘Send’ Deadline for 2022 General Elections:

State law requires Supervisors of Elections to send, within the following specified timeframes, to voters who already have requests on file:

For absent stateside and overseas uniformed service member and overseas civilian voters (also known as UOCAVA voters), Supervisors of Elections send the ballots no later than 45 days before an election. The send deadlines for 2022 are:

• Primary Election: July 9
• General Election: September 24

For domestic voters, Supervisors of Elections send the ballots during a 7-day window which is between 40 and 33 days before an election. The send periods for 2022 are:

• Primary Election: July 14 – 21
• General Election: September 29 – October 6

2. Receive your ballot

Check your mailbox! The Supervisor of Elections will send out the vote-by-mail ballots no later than four days before the election.

3. Fill out your ballot

If you need assistance completing out your ballot, anyone can help you to mark your ballot, except:

• Your employer
• An agent of your employer
• An officer or agent of your union

4. Mail your ballot

Place a stamp on the envelope and mail the ballot back to your Supervisor of Elections.

The deadlines for 2022 are:

• Primary Election: August 13
• General Election: October 29

A vote-by-mail ballot must be returned and received by the Supervisor of Elections in the county of registration no later than 7:00 p.m. (local time) on election day for the respective election in order to be counted.

*A 10-day extension exists only for overseas voters for the Presidential Preference Primary and General Election only.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Voting by Mail

Advantages

• It’s convenient, and you can control your election experience.
• You can fill it out at a pace that works for you from the comfort of your home.
• You don’t need to worry about transportation to the polls, waiting in long lines, or the inaccessibility of an Election Day polling place.

Disadvantages

• Paper ballots are not accessible for everyone. 
• You may feel it is important to vote in person at the polls to stress the need for having accessible polling places and equipment.

Whichever you choose, your vote counts!

Forget to Sign?

If you are notified that you forgot to sign the certificate with your vote-by-mail ballot, complete a Vote-by-Mail Ballot Cure Affidavit form. Send it back with a copy of your identification no later than 5 pm on the second day after the election.