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Nebraska state Sen. Julie Slama hugs a campaign volunteer after a press conference hosted by Citizens for Voter ID at the Capitol on Thursday. Citizens for Voter ID submitted petitions to the secretary of state to add a voter ID requirement to the state constitution.
Raise the Wage Nebraska announced Thursday it had gathered more than 160,000 signatures on a petition to gradually raise Nebraska’s minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2026.
Alma Cerretta
Voting laws in every state
Alabama
Voter ID law: photo ID requested
State mail-in voting status: temporarily allowing vote-by-mail options due to the COVID-19 crisis
Early voting policy: early voting is not permitted
Felony voting law: felons with certain convictions are permanently disenfranchised
Voting registration deadlines:
- In-person registration: Oct. 19, 2020
- Online registration: Oct. 19, 2020
- Mailed registration: Oct. 19, 2020
Alabama is among a handful of states that haven’t waived their requirement for voters to get a witness or a notary signature to validate their absentee ballots during the pandemic. That could make it difficult for people who live by themselves and can’t make it to the polling place in-person to have their votes counted, reports Quinn Scanlan of ABC News.
Alaska
Voter ID law: ID requested, photo not required
State mail-in voting status: any voter can request a vote-by-mail ballot (no excuse required)
Early voting policy: no-excuse early voting is allowed
Felony voting law: voting rights reinstated upon completion of sentence (including prison time, parole, and probation)
Voting registration deadlines:
- In-person registration: Oct. 4, 2020
- Online registration: Oct. 4, 2020
- Mailed registration: Oct. 3, 2020
Civil rights groups are suing the state of Alaska over its requirement for absentee voters to get a witness signature on their ballots, reports James Brooks of Anchorage Daily News. The groups say that the mandate could force Alaskans “to choose between voting and their health” amid the COVID-19 crisis.
Arizona
Voter ID law: strict ID laws, photo not required
State mail-in voting status: any voter can request a vote-by-mail ballot (no excuse required)
Early voting policy: no-excuse early voting is allowed
Felony voting law: voting rights are automatically reinstated to an individual with one felony conviction upon completion of sentence, two or more convictions requires government approval
Voting registration deadlines:
- In-person registration: Oct. 5, 2020
- Online registration: Oct. 5, 2020
- Mailed registration: Oct. 5, 2020
Democratic parties at both the state and national level are suing Arizona over a law that throws out mail-in ballots if they aren’t signed by voters, writes Howard Fischer of Arizona Capitol Times. Last year, lawmakers in the state agreed to extend a five-day grace period in which voters could “cure” their ballots if county election officials believe a person’s signature on their absentee ballot envelope doesn’t look like what’s on file. Attorneys would like Arizona to create a similar remedy for voters who forget to sign their ballot.
Arkansas
Voter ID law: photo ID requested
State mail-in voting status: temporarily allowing vote-by-mail options due to the COVID-19 crisis
Early voting policy: no-excuse early voting is allowed
Felony voting law: voting rights reinstated upon completion of sentence (including prison time, parole, and probation)
Voting registration deadlines:
- In-person registration: Oct. 4, 2020
- Online registration: not applicable
- Mailed registration: Oct. 5, 2020
Voters in Arkansas are required by law to include a copy of their driver’s license or other ID with their absentee ballot. Those who don’t have a copy of their ID can only vote provisionally, reports Leslie Newell Peacock of the Arkansas Times.
California
Voter ID law: no document required to vote
State mail-in voting status: vote by mail is the default (all voters are mailed a ballot)
Early voting policy: no-excuse early voting is allowed
Felony voting law: voting rights reinstated immediately upon completion of prison and parole time
Voting registration deadlines:
- In-person registration: Nov. 3, 2020
- Online registration: Oct. 19, 2020
- Mailed registration: Oct. 19, 2020
The state of California is sending every registered voter a mail-in ballot in the month leading up to election day this year. Californians can still cast their votes in person if they so choose, however voting sites will be consolidated this year amid the pandemic, according to Jonathan Mehta Stein and Francisco Pedraza of CalMatters.
Colorado
Voter ID law: ID requested, photo not required
State mail-in voting status: vote by mail is the default (all voters are mailed a ballot)
Early voting policy: not applicable because of mail-in voting
Felony voting law: voting rights reinstated immediately upon completion of prison sentence
Voting registration deadlines:
- In-person registration: Nov. 3, 2020
- Online registration: Oct. 26, 2020
- Mailed registration: Oct. 26, 2020
In 2019, Colorado extended the right to vote in primaries to 17-year-olds, as long as their 18th birthday would occur ahead of the general election. That rule may be reversed this November if Coloradans vote in favor of Amendment 76, which would limit voting solely to people age 18 and up, reports Jesse Paul of the Colorado Sun.
Connecticut
Voter ID law: ID requested, photo not required
State mail-in voting status: temporarily allowing vote-by-mail options due to the COVID-19 crisis
Early voting policy: early voting is not permitted
Felony voting law: voting rights reinstated immediately upon completion of prison and parole time
Voting registration deadlines:
- In-person registration: Nov. 3, 2020
- Online registration: Oct. 27, 2020
- Mailed registration: Oct. 27, 2020
Only ballots that are received by the time the polls close on Election Day will be counted in Connecticut, per the state’s law. Officials are encouraging people to submit their ballots in secure drop boxes to ensure they are received on time, writes Rich Kirby of Patch.
Delaware
Voter ID law: ID requested, photo not required
State mail-in voting status: temporarily allowing vote-by-mail options due to the COVID-19 crisis.
Early voting policy: no-excuse early voting is allowed
Felony voting law: felons with certain convictions are permanently disenfranchised
Voting registration deadlines:
- In-person registration: Oct. 10, 2020
- Online registration: Oct. 10, 2020
- Mailed registration: Oct. 10, 2020
Postal Service General Counsel Thomas Marshall told the Delaware state election commissioner in August that the state’s laws on “deadliness for requesting and casting mail-in ballots” did not adhere to the postal service’s delivery guidelines. According to Marshall’s letter, Delaware law states that absentee ballots will be sent to voters until the four days leading up to Election Day, which might not be enough time for the post office to deliver the ballot.
Georgia
Voter ID law: strict photo ID laws
State mail-in voting status: any voter can request a vote-by-mail ballot (no excuse required)
Early voting policy: no-excuse early voting is allowed
Felony voting law: voting rights reinstated upon completion of sentence (including prison time, parole, and probation)
Voting registration deadlines:
- In-person registration: Oct. 5, 2020
- Online registration: Oct. 5, 2020
- Mailed registration: Oct. 5, 2020
County election officials in Georgia may change the status of tens of thousands of voters to “inactive” after absentee ballot applications sent to them earlier this year were returned as undeliverable, reports Mark Niesse of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. These voters can still cast their votes in the November 2020 election, but their inactive status puts them at risk of canceled voter registration down the road.
Hawaii
Voter ID law: photo ID requested
State mail-in voting status: vote by mail is the default (all voters are mailed a ballot)
Early voting policy: not applicable because of mail-in voting
Felony voting law: voting rights reinstated immediately upon completion of prison sentence
Voting registration deadlines:
- In-person registration: Nov. 3, 2020
- Online registration: Oct. 5, 2020
- Mailed registration: Oct. 5, 2020
A new law in Hawaii allowed the state to move forward with voting by mail for the 2020 election. The legislation, known as Act 136, also included a provision that allows any person with a disability to request an electronic ballot, per Blaze Lovell of the Honolulu Civil Beat.
Idaho
Voter ID law: photo ID requested
State mail-in voting status: any voter can request a vote-by-mail ballot (no excuse required)
Early voting policy: no-excuse early voting is allowed
Felony voting law: voting rights reinstated upon completion of sentence (including prison time, parole, and probation)
Voting registration deadlines:
- In-person registration: Nov. 3, 2020
- Online registration: Oct. 9, 2020
- Mailed registration: Oct. 9, 2020
Idaho county clerks are asking the state to pass a law that would allow them to start counting absentee ballots received ahead of Election Day. They say that they don’t have the resources to run a massive absentee election on top of the in-person election, and early counting of votes could ease the strain, writes Kristina Glascock, president of the Idaho Association of County Recorders and Clerks.
Illinois
Voter ID law: no document required to vote
State mail-in voting status: any voter can request a vote-by-mail ballot (no excuse required)
Early voting policy: no-excuse early voting is allowed
Felony voting law: voting rights reinstated immediately upon completion of prison sentence
Voting registration deadlines:
- In-person registration: Nov. 3, 2020
- Online registration: Oct. 18, 2020
- Mailed registration: Oct. 6, 2020
Earlier this year, the Illinois General Assembly passed special election laws that required local election authorities to send mail-in ballot applications to anyone who had voted in one of three recent elections, reports WIFR. The applications were mailed to 6.4 million people in the state, and more than 1.1 million had already been returned as of Aug. 28.
Iowa
Voter ID law: ID requested, photo not required
State mail-in voting status: any voter can request a vote-by-mail ballot (no excuse required)
Early voting policy: no-excuse early voting is allowed
Felony voting law: voting rights reinstated upon completion of sentence (including prison time, parole, and probation), except for felony homicide convictions, which require government approval
Voting registration deadlines:
- In-person registration: Nov. 3, 2020
- Online registration: Oct. 24, 2020
- Mailed registration: Oct. 19, 2020
Kentucky
Voter ID law: ID requested, photo not required
State mail-in voting status: temporarily allowing vote-by-mail options due to the COVID-19 crisis.
Early voting policy: no-excuse early voting is allowed
Felony voting law: felons with certain convictions are permanently disenfranchised
Voting registration deadlines:
- In-person registration: Oct. 5, 2020
- Online registration: Oct. 5, 2020
- Mailed registration: Oct. 5, 2020
The Kentucky general assembly passed a new law earlier this year that requires voters to have a photo I.D. from “a governmental, military, or educational institution,” writes Neville Blakemore in an opinion piece for the Courier Journal. Some lawmakers, including House Minority Whip Angie Hatton, opposed the law, saying it makes it too difficult for people to comply with voting rules.
Louisiana
Voter ID law: photo ID requested
State mail-in voting status: voters need an “excuse” to request vote-by-mail ballot (“excuse required”)
Early voting policy: no-excuse early voting is allowed
Felony voting law: voting rights reinstated upon completion of sentence (including prison time, parole, and probation) or who have not been incarcerated in the last five years
Voting registration deadlines:
- In-person registration: Oct. 4, 2020
- Online registration: Oct. 14, 2020
- Mailed registration: Oct. 4, 2020
An ongoing federal lawsuit is seeking to increase voter access to mail-in ballots in Louisiana for the November election amid the pandemic, reports Mark Ballard of The Advocate. The state had already received nearly triple the usual number of absentee ballot requests by Sept. 9, and officials say they may not have the resources to process them quickly enough.
Maryland
Voter ID law: no document required to vote
State mail-in voting status: any voter can request a vote-by-mail ballot (no excuse required)
Early voting policy: no-excuse early voting is allowed
Felony voting law: voting rights reinstated immediately upon completion of prison sentence
Voting registration deadlines:
- In-person registration: Nov. 3, 2020
- Online registration: Oct. 13, 2020
- Mailed registration: Oct. 13, 2020
In mid-August, some counties in Maryland asked state election officials to send them additional absentee ballot drop boxes out of concern about delays at the U.S. Postal Service, reports Nick Iannelli of WTOP. Montgomery County, for example, is asking for at least 40 drop boxes (compared with its usual two or three), while Prince George County has requested an additional 36 boxes.
Massachusetts
Voter ID law: no document required to vote
State mail-in voting status: temporarily allowing vote-by-mail options due to the COVID-19 crisis
Early voting policy: no-excuse early voting is allowed
Felony voting law: voting rights reinstated immediately upon completion of prison sentence
Voting registration deadlines:
- In-person registration: Oct. 14, 2020
- Online registration: Oct. 14, 2020
- Mailed registration: Oct. 14, 2020
Massachusetts voters will decide this November whether they wish to implement ranked-choice voting. Also known as instant runoff, ranked-choice voting would have voters list the candidates “in order of preference,” rather than using their vote solely for one candidate, reports Jim Kinney of MassLive.
Michigan
Voter ID law: photo ID requested
State mail-in voting status: any voter can request a vote-by-mail ballot (no excuse required)
Early voting policy: no-excuse early voting is allowed
Felony voting law: voting rights reinstated immediately upon completion of prison sentence
Voting registration deadlines:
- In-person registration: Nov. 3, 2020
- Online registration: Oct. 19, 2020
- Mailed registration: Oct. 19, 2020
The Michigan state legislature is considering new bills that would allow absentee ballots to be counted before Election Day. If passed, the bills would also extend the deadline for when these ballots can arrive, write Annie Grayer and Marshall Cohen of CNN.
Minnesota
Voter ID law: no document required to vote
State mail-in voting status: any voter can request a vote-by-mail ballot (no excuse required)
Early voting policy: no-excuse early voting is allowed
Felony voting law: voting rights reinstated upon completion of sentence (including prison time, parole, and probation)
Voting registration deadlines:
- In-person registration: Nov. 3, 2020
- Online registration: Oct. 13, 2020
- Mailed registration: Oct. 13, 2020
The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled in early September that residents could help an unlimited number of voters cast their ballots in the upcoming election. There had previously been a law that restricted people from helping more than three other voters, according to Stephen Montemayor of the Star Tribune.
Missouri
Voter ID law: ID requested, photo not required
State mail-in voting status: temporarily allowing vote-by-mail options due to the COVID-19 crisis.
Early voting policy: early voting is not permitted
Felony voting law: voting rights reinstated upon completion of sentence (including prison time, parole, and probation)
Voting registration deadlines:
- In-person registration: Oct. 7, 2020
- Online registration: Oct. 7, 2020
- Mailed registration: Oct. 7, 2020
When Missouri expanded absentee ballot options during the pandemic, the state also included a requirement that most voters must get their mail-in ballot notarized in order to be counted. Voters in St. Louis teamed up with a national nonprofit to challenge the notarization requirement in court in mid-August, writes Bryan Lowry of The Kansas City Star.
Montana
Voter ID law: ID requested, photo not required
State mail-in voting status: vote by mail is the default (all voters are mailed a ballot)
Early voting policy: no-excuse early voting is allowed
Felony voting law: voting rights reinstated immediately upon completion of prison sentence
Voting registration deadlines:
- In-person registration: Nov. 3, 2020
- Online registration: not applicable
- Mailed registration: Oct. 4, 2020
The Republican Party and President Trump’s reelection campaign are suing the state of Montana over Gov. Steve Bullock’s decision to allow counties to hold the November election entirely by mail if they so choose, reports Explore Big Sky. Gov. Bullock responded to the suit, saying that it seems to be part of a bigger pattern of the Republican Party’s attempts at limiting access to voting.
Nebraska
Voter ID law: no document required to vote
State mail-in voting status: any voter can request a vote-by-mail ballot (no excuse required)
Early voting policy: no-excuse early voting is allowed
Felony voting law: voting rights are reinstated two years after completion of sentence (including prison time, parole and probation)
Voting registration deadlines:
- In-person registration: Oct. 23, 2020
- Online registration: Oct. 16, 2020
- Mailed registration: Oct. 16, 2020
Counties in Nebraska have the option to hold elections entirely by mail. This year, the state is also sending every registered voter an absentee ballot application, in addition to the voting by mail elections some counties already hold, reports Dylan Matthews of Vox.
New Hampshire
Voter ID law: ID requested, photo not required
State mail-in voting status: temporarily allowing vote-by-mail options due to the COVID-19 crisis
Early voting policy: early voting is not permitted without a valid excuse
Felony voting law: voting rights reinstated immediately upon completion of prison sentence
Voting registration deadlines:
- In-person registration: Nov. 3, 2020
- Online registration: not applicable
- Mailed registration: Oct. 21-28, 2020
The New Hampshire attorney general said that the state’s Republican Party broke an election law when it distributed absentee ballot applications, reports Dan Barrick of New Hampshire Public Radio. The forms sent by the Republican Party had misleading information about where to return the ballot applications, which it says was the result of a “printing error.”
New Mexico
Voter ID law: no document required to vote
State mail-in voting status: any voter can request a vote-by-mail ballot (no excuse required)
Early voting policy: no-excuse early voting is allowed
Felony voting law: voting rights reinstated upon completion of sentence (including prison time, parole, and probation)
Voting registration deadlines:
- In-person registration: Oct. 6, 2020
- Online registration: Oct. 6, 2020
- Mailed registration: Oct. 6, 2020
New laws in New Mexico mandate that local election officials send a mail-in ballot application to every registered voter ahead of the general election, reports Keith Goble of Land Line. The state also has a law that allows international observers to keep an eye on elections, according to Martin LaMonica of The Conversation.
New York
Voter ID law: no document required to vote
State mail-in voting status: voters need an “excuse” to request vote-by-mail ballot (“excuse required”)
Early voting policy: no-excuse early voting is allowed
Felony voting law: voting rights reinstated immediately upon completion of prison and parole time
Voting registration deadlines:
- In-person registration: Oct. 9, 2020
- Online registration: Oct. 9, 2020
- Mailed registration: Oct. 9, 2020
In August, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed three new laws that create more flexibility for New York voters this fall. The legislation allows voters to immediately request absentee ballots beginning Aug. 20, permits absentee ballots for people who are at risk of an illness, and allows any ballot postmarked through Election Day to be counted, reports Robert Pozarycki of AMNY.
North Carolina
Voter ID law: photo ID requested
State mail-in voting status: any voter can request a vote-by-mail ballot (no excuse required)
Early voting policy: no-excuse early voting is allowed
Felony voting law: voting rights reinstated upon completion of sentence (including prison time, parole, and probation)
Voting registration deadlines:
- In-person registration: Oct. 31 if voting early, 2020
- Online registration: Oct. 9, 2020
- Mailed registration: Oct. 9, 2020
A Superior Court panel ruled on Sept. 4 that felons in North Carolina are eligible to vote even if they’re on probation due to unpaid fines or court fees, writes Herbert L. White of The Charlotte Post. A previous law restricting people in this situation was deemed a violation of the Equal Protection clause.
North Dakota
Voter ID law: strict ID laws, photo not required
State mail-in voting status: any voter can request a vote-by-mail ballot (no excuse required)
Early voting policy: no-excuse early voting is allowed
Felony voting law: voting rights reinstated immediately upon completion of prison sentence
Voting registration deadlines:
- In-person registration: not applicable
- Online registration: not applicable
- Mailed registration: not applicable
The North Dakota Supreme Court ruled against a plan to include a measure to create new election processes on the November ballot, reports Mike McCleary of The Bismarck Tribune. The initiative aimed to implement new processes for military members voting overseas, auditing elections, instant runoffs, and open primaries.
Ohio
Voter ID law: strict ID laws, photo not required
State mail-in voting status: any voter can request a vote-by-mail ballot (no excuse required)
Early voting policy: no-excuse early voting is allowed
Felony voting law: voting rights reinstated immediately upon completion of prison sentence
Voting registration deadlines:
- In-person registration: Oct. 5, 2020
- Online registration: Oct. 4, 2020
- Mailed registration: Oct. 5, 2020
In late August, the Ohio Democratic Party sued the state’s Secretary of State Frank LaRose for refusing to install additional ballot drop boxes for people who are voting absentee, writes Katelyn Polantz of CNN. LaRose had previously decided that each county would only receive one drop box for the November election.
Oklahoma
Voter ID law: ID requested, photo not required
State mail-in voting status: any voter can request a vote-by-mail ballot (no excuse required)
Early voting policy: no-excuse early voting is allowed
Felony voting law: voting rights reinstated upon completion of sentence (including prison time, parole, and probation)
Voting registration deadlines:
- In-person registration: Oct. 9, 2020
- Online registration: not applicable
- Mailed registration: Oct. 9, 2020
A federal court in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is hearing a case challenging the state’s requirement for mail-in ballots to have a notarization in order to be counted, according to an Aug. 27 article by Curtis Killman of Tulsa World. Opponents of the law say that it could disenfranchise voters amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Oregon
Voter ID law: no document required to vote
State mail-in voting status: vote by mail is the default (all voters are mailed a ballot)
Early voting policy: not applicable because of mail-in voting
Felony voting law: voting rights reinstated immediately upon completion of prison sentence
Voting registration deadlines:
- In-person registration: Oct. 13, 2020
- Online registration: Oct. 13, 2020
- Mailed registration: Oct. 13, 2020
Oregon is among the five states that primarily focus on mail-based elections. It has distributed more than 100 million ballots by mail since 2000, according to Reuters. It has also found only a dozen cases of voting fraud in that time.
Rhode Island
Voter ID law: photo ID requested
State mail-in voting status: any voter can request a vote-by-mail ballot (no excuse required)
Early voting policy: early voting is not permitted without a valid excuse
Felony voting law: voting rights reinstated immediately upon completion of prison sentence
Voting registration deadlines:
- In-person registration: Oct. 4, 2020
- Online registration: Oct. 4, 2020
- Mailed registration: Oct. 4, 2020
Rhode Island Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea has slammed the U.S. Postal Service for sending out a postcard with “misinformation” about the 2020 elections, according to a Sept. 13 article in the CT Post. While the postcard tells the recipient to request a mail-in ballot no less than 15 days ahead of Election Day, Rhode Island requires voters to submit their absentee ballot request at least 21 days ahead of time.
South Carolina
Voter ID law: photo ID requested
State mail-in voting status: voters need an “excuse” to request vote-by-mail ballot (“excuse required”)
Early voting policy: early voting is not permitted without a valid excuse
Felony voting law: voting rights reinstated upon completion of sentence (including prison time, parole, and probation)
Voting registration deadlines:
- In-person registration: Oct. 3, 2020
- Online registration: Oct. 4, 2020
- Mailed registration: Oct. 5, 2020
South Carolina lawmakers were expected to pass a bill expanding absentee voting for the November election in mid-September, according to a Sept. 10 article from Maayan Schechter of The State. If passed, the law would shift certain deadlines for absentee ballot requests earlier.
South Dakota
Voter ID law: photo ID requested
State mail-in voting status: any voter can request a vote-by-mail ballot (no excuse required)
Early voting policy: no-excuse early voting is allowed
Felony voting law: voting rights reinstated upon completion of sentence (including prison time, parole, and probation)
Voting registration deadlines:
- In-person registration: Oct. 19, 2020
- Online registration: Oct. 4, 2020
- Mailed registration: Oct. 19, 2020
In February, lawmakers in South Dakota rejected a proposed measure that would have allowed Native Americans to show their tribal IDs as documentation for voter registration, reports Geoff West of The Fulcrum. Some lawmakers expressed concern that the IDs could not be verified and may lead to fraud. Tribal IDs are already used by the federal government in other capacities, including at airport security checkpoints.
Vermont
Voter ID law: no document required to vote
State mail-in voting status: vote by mail is the default (all voters are mailed a ballot).
Early voting policy: no-excuse early voting is allowed
Felony voting law: voting rights are always retained, regardless of conviction
Voting registration deadlines:
- In-person registration: Nov. 3, 2020
- Online registration: Oct. 30, 2020
- Mailed registration: Nov. 3, 2020
Vermont has decided to send mail-in ballots to all registered voters this fall amid the coronavirus pandemic. The measure includes people who use a prison address, as Vermont is one of just two states that allow inmates to vote, writes Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff of The Fulcrum.
Virginia
Voter ID law: ID requested, photo not required
State mail-in voting status: any voter can request a vote-by-mail ballot (no excuse required)
Early voting policy: no-excuse early voting is allowed
Felony voting law: voting rights reinstated upon completion of sentence (including prison time, parole, and probation), reinstated individually by the governor or another official
Voting registration deadlines:
- In-person registration: Oct. 12, 2020
- Online registration: Oct. 12, 2020
- Mailed registration: Oct. 12, 2020
Virginia’s Democrat-controlled state legislature has passed a series of statewide voting reforms this year, reports Brittany Gibson of The American Prospect. They repealed a law requiring an ID to vote, turned Election Day into an official holiday, increased the number of hours polling places were open, and began automatic voter registration through the Department of Motor Vehicles, among other measures.
Washington
Voter ID law: ID requested, photo not required
State mail-in voting status: vote by mail is the default (all voters are mailed a ballot)
Early voting policy: not applicable because of mail-in voting
Felony voting law: voting rights reinstated upon completion of sentence (including prison time, parole, and probation)
Voting registration deadlines:
- In-person registration: Nov. 3, 2020
- Online registration: Oct. 26, 2020
- Mailed registration: Oct. 26, 2020
Election officials in Washington are concerned that a postcard from the U.S. Postal Service could confuse voters ahead of the election. The state already sends mail-in ballots with postage-paid envelopes to all registered voters, despite the mailer indicating otherwise, according to Orion Donovan-Smith of The Spokesman.
West Virginia
Voter ID law: ID requested, photo not required
State mail-in voting status: temporarily allowing vote-by-mail options due to the COVID-19 crisis.
Early voting policy: no-excuse early voting is allowed
Felony voting law: voting rights reinstated upon completion of sentence (including prison time, parole, and probation)
Voting registration deadlines:
- In-person registration: Oct. 13, 2020
- Online registration: Oct. 13, 2020
- Mailed registration: Oct. 13, 2020
West Virginia began allowing concerns about the coronavirus to be used as a valid reason to request an absentee ballot for the November election, writes Lexi Browning of the West Virginia Press Association. As of Sept. 9, more than 50,000 voters in the state had requested an absentee ballot.
Wisconsin
Voter ID law: strict photo ID laws
State mail-in voting status: any voter can request a vote-by-mail ballot (no excuse required)
Early voting policy: no-excuse early voting is allowed
Felony voting law: voting rights reinstated upon completion of sentence (including prison time, parole, and probation)
Voting registration deadlines:
- In-person registration: Nov. 3, 2020
- Online registration: Oct. 14, 2020
- Mailed registration: Oct. 14, 2020
Wisconsin election laws prohibit absentee ballots from being processed until Election Day, even if they arrive early. The state has been working on scaling up staffing to ensure it has enough workers to count the expected influx of absentee ballots, reports Max Witynski of Wisconsin Watch.
Wyoming
Voter ID law: no document required to vote
State mail-in voting status: any voter can request a vote-by-mail ballot (no excuse required)
Early voting policy: no-excuse early voting is allowed
Felony voting law: felons with certain convictions are permanently disenfranchised
Voting registration deadlines:
- In-person registration: Nov. 3, 2020
- Online registration: not applicable
- Mailed registration: Oct. 20, 2020
Election officials in Wyoming are not allowed to count absentee ballots until the end of Election Day. Some counties have been granted an exception, though, as they’re expecting many people to vote absentee during the pandemic, according to WyoFile. You may also like: Do you know the mayors of these major cities?
