Was your ballot received and counted? How to check your 2024 election vote

As nan 2024 showdown betwixt Vice President Kamala Harris and erstwhile President Donald Trump inches closer, a ample chunk of nan American populace is erstwhile again opting to ballot via mail. According to figures from nan University of Florida, complete 66 cardinal message ballots person been requested and complete 30 cardinal person been returned. 

While voting by message has go much communal since nan pandemic, a fewer recent mishaps person shaken immoderate voters' religion successful nan system. Just this week, ballot driblet boxes successful Oregon and Washington were set ablaze, while successful Miami, a stash of sealed ballots fell retired of an predetermination worker's truck, stoking interest among voters.

If you already formed your ballot by mail, aliases are readying to successful nan coming days, but are worried astir it reaching its last destination, your authorities mightiness let you to way your ballot's position online. Beyond reducing telephone measurement to section predetermination offices, these search systems tin reconstruct religion successful nan voting process, said nationalist predetermination master Amber McReynolds.

"Voters, if they're signed up for thing for illustration this, aliases moreover if they conscionable telephone and look up nan information, it really does springiness them assurance that their ballot has been received and successfully processed," McReynolds said.

Which states fto you way your ballot?

All states —with nan objection of Illinois, Missouri, and Wyoming— and Washington, D.C. connection immoderate shape of ballot search for mail-in and absentee ballots. Vote.org has links to each of nan 47 states' search devices arsenic good arsenic resources for group pinch questions astir nan position of a provisional ballot. Find your state's lookup instrumentality here.

Steps for search your ballot

So you dropped your absentee aliases mail-in ballot off. Now what?

The first measurement is to navigate to your state's online portal, wherever you'll beryllium asked to supply basal accusation specified arsenic your first and past name, day of commencement and zip code. 

Tracking varies depending connected states, truthful successful immoderate cases, voters will only beryllium capable to spot basal accusation for illustration erstwhile their ballot was mailed and erstwhile it was received connected nan online portal. In different cases, they will person nan action to motion up for notifications via text, email aliases telephone telephone done services for illustration BallotTrax aliases Enhanced Voting. These systems connection much granular updates to nan elector via text, email aliases calls passim nan ballot's journey.

Another measurement to support tabs connected your ballot is to motion up for informed delivery done this U.S. postal service, which allows users to preview images of incoming message and packages.

How is my ballot tracked?

Tracking ballots typically involves coordination betwixt nan USPS, predetermination officials and nan ballot printing and mentation vendor.

Like Enhanced Voting, different online search tool, BallotTrax uses what they telephone a unsocial intelligent message barcodes (IMB) identifier that captures information astir ballots' whereabouts. The USPS barcodes —embedded connected nan envelopes— mixed pinch elector registration information springiness nan institution a model into nan life rhythm of nan ballot, allowing them to show it each measurement of nan measurement and relay updates to voters, for illustration erstwhile nan ballot is retired for delivery, for example. They do this without ever learning individual voting information. 

"We ne'er person entree to nan ballot itself and it remains anonymous passim its lifecycle," said Steve Olsen, nan president of BallotTrax.

What tin you do if you still haven't received your ballot aliases if your ballot wasn't received and counted?

Voters tin move to section elections officials if they acquisition immoderate wrinkles successful nan voting process aliases person wide questions astir their options for voting. According to Vote.org, officials tin connection counsel connected whether it's imaginable to ballot utilizing a replacement message ballot aliases if it's champion to cancel your message ballot and ballot successful personification connected Election Day instead. 

Those pinch questions tin find interaction accusation for their section predetermination offices on vote.org. 

What different resources exist?

Nonpartisan volunteers from nan vote.org nationalist hotline tin reply wide elections-related questions astatine 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683). Around 4,000 volunteers will beryllium moving connected Election Day. Below is simply a sampling of questions they tin address.

• Am I registered/is it excessively precocious to register?
• Am I eligible for early/absentee voting?
• How do I get a message ballot?
• Where is my polling place?
• My message ballot has not arrived and I will not beryllium successful nan authorities connected Election Day. What tin I do to vote?
• Is my early voting location nan aforesaid arsenic my Election Day polling place?
• My message ballot is missing nan secrecy envelope, what do I do?
• I americium a student going to schoolhouse retired of state, tin I ballot wherever I americium successful school?
• I was antecedently convicted of a crime, tin I vote?

In:
• Voting
• Absentee Ballot
• 2024 Elections
• Mail In Voting