How Do I Vote by Mail and How Do I Track My Mail-In Ballot?

Election day is fast approaching, but some people won’t be able to make it to the polls on Nov. 5. If you haven’t yet taken the time to train a carrier pigeon to deliver your ballot to the nearest polling place, mail-in voting may provide an alternative solution. But how exactly do you do that? All states have some form of vote-by-mail system. Read on to get organized ahead of election day. Do I Need to Request a Ballot? Eight states and the District of Columbia have “all mail-in-voting,” which means a ballot will be mailed to you automatically; everywhere else you need to request one. This gives you the option to vote by mail, or to fill out your ballot and drop it off at a polling place or ballot box....