Experts explain how to verify your early ballot has been counted in the upcoming presidential election
How to Make Sure Your Early Vote Is Counted
Published on Nov. 01, 2024
Going to your local polls on Election Day in 2024 isn’t the only way to cast your vote in the upcoming presidential election. Now more than ever, there are convenient options for exercising your right to vote—before Nov. 5.
But with early voting comes worries about whether your ballot will make it to its destination. Let’s be clear: Every vote matters and will be counted. And luckily, there are ways to verify that.
We reached out to an expert with the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and a political science professor to find out how secure early voting really is. Read on to learn what they had to say and find out how to track your ballot and ensure your vote is counted.
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How can you vote before Election Day?
To cast your vote before Nov. 5, you may be able to vote early in person or submit a mail-in or absentee ballot. Early voting wasn’t always widespread. But the COVID-19 pandemic significantly changed the voting landscape, and we never looked back!
Over the past few years, voting by mail has become easier across all 50 states. And while some states still require residents to provide a specific reason for mail-in voting, the majority allow it without restrictions.
There is also early voting in person, which is available in 47 states. (Alabama, New Hampshire and Oregon don’t allow early in-person voting.) Some early voting periods are much shorter than others and may apply to certain counties only—you can find out about your specific state’s rules on Vote.org.
Early voting is well underway across the country, with states like Michigan and Georgia breaking records for early voter turnout. So far, nearly half of all registered voters in Georgia and a third of all registered voters in Michigan (which allowed early voting for the first time this year) have cast their votes. With a few days to go before the election, more than 44 million Americans have already voted.
How do states check mail-in ballots?
All ballots go through a verification process, but each state does it differently.
“In some cases, if a voter’s identity can’t be verified or if a state conducts a signature-verification process as a way to verify absentee and mail votes and there appears to be a signature discrepancy, the voter would be notified and may have the opportunity to ‘cure’ the ballot or prove identity in order for the vote to be counted,” says Katy Owens Hubler of the NCSL, an organization that represents the legislatures in states, territories and commonwealths of the United States. “Not all states have such a process.”
How do you track your mail-in vote?
If you have voted by mail, you can use Vote.org’s ballot-tracker tool to ensure your vote has been counted. There, you’ll quickly find your state’s ballot-tracking website, which will give you the most accurate picture of your ballot’s status. One caveat: Your mail-in ballot must have been postmarked (or hand-delivered) by Election Day.
“Each state has its own system for tracking mail-in votes and early votes. Be sure to research the systems in your state,” Anthony Chergosky, PhD, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, tells Reader’s Digest. “The official government websites for your state, your county and your municipality can be great sources for you to learn more about the process.”
How do you track your early vote?
You should feel just as confident that your vote will be counted with an early in-person vote as you do as you do when going to your local polling site on Election Day. But if you have any concerns, you should reach out to the clerk in your municipality. “They are very helpful and have a lot of expertise on voting and elections,” says Chergosky.
Still worried that voting early in person is riskier than doing so on Nov. 5? Know that your voice will be heard no matter when you vote, but early voting offers more flexibility for parents, caregivers or workers who don’t get time off to vote.
“In-person early voting is a wonderful option for voters,” Chergosky says. “Our lives can get busy, and things can come up unexpectedly. If you anticipate that you’ll have a full or hectic schedule on Election Day, early voting can be a great way to cast your ballot in a way that reduces your stress level. Also, if something urgent comes up on Election Day, like a sick child or a sudden scheduling change, then people might not be able to get to the polls.”
What should you do if you find your vote wasn’t counted?
If you’ve used all the tracking tools available to you and discovered your ballot was not counted, there is still a chance to amend it. “The best advice is to contact [your] state or local election officials,” Hubler says.
Be aware that unexpected events out of your control could occur. Earlier this week, two ballot boxes in Oregon and Washington state were set on fire in an arson attempt, but authorities acted quickly to notify affected voters—of which there were notably few.
“Fire suppressant inside the ballot box protected virtually all the ballots. Only three ballots suffered damage, and Elections will contact those three voters, via unique identifiers on their ballot envelopes, so they can receive replacement ballots,” Oregon elections director Tim Scott said in a press release. Washington election officials also guided voters on how to receive their replacement ballots.
The bottom line: No matter how you cast a ballot, your vote is safe. But if you still worry about whether your vote counts, turn to your local election officials. “It is their job to make sure elections run smoothly,” Chergosky adds. “People can learn a lot about elections by contacting their local officials.”
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Sources:
- Katy Owens Hubler, project manager for elections and redistricting at the National Conference of State Legislatures; email interview, Oct. 28, 2024
- Anthony Chergosky, PhD, assistant professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse; email interview, Oct. 29, 2024
- Georgia Secretary of State: “Election Data Hub – Turnout”
- Michigan Department of State: “Michigan Voting Dashboard”
- New York Times: “44 Million Voters Have Already Cast a Ballot. Most Voted Early in 2020, Too.”
- ABC News: “Devices used in ballot box arsons had ‘Free Gaza’ markings, sources say”
- Multnomah County: “Elections Director Tim Scott’s statement on incendiary device at County ballot box”
- Clark County: “Clark County Auditor statement regarding ballots destroyed in ballot box”
