What is mail-in or absentee voting?

• A. Voting by mail with ballots sent to voters; can increase access but requires safeguards.
• B. A type of in-person early voting at a designated site.
• C. A system where only provisional ballots are allowed.
• D. Voting exclusively via online submissions.

Answer: (A)

Mail-in or absentee voting means voting by mail with ballots sent to eligible voters so they can cast their ballot without going to a polling place. Voters fill out the ballot at home and return it by mail or via a secure drop-off, typically by a set deadline. This method broadens participation by helping people who are out of town, ill, working long hours, or otherwise unable to vote in person on Election Day. Safeguards support the integrity of the process, including verifying eligibility and identity (often through signatures or other checks), protecting ballot secrecy, tracking delivery, and ensuring ballots are counted only if received by the official deadline. It’s different from in-person early voting, which occurs at designated sites before Election Day, and it isn’t limited to provisional ballots or online submission.