How to track your mail-in ballot

people have been voting by mail in the United States for nearly 100 years, but it's never been a zbig. An issue is. It is in the 2020 election, and there are two reasons for that. First, more people are voting by mail than ever before on that's because of the pandemic. It's made voting in person risky and hard to do because a lot of poll workers don't want to staff polling stations. So for your polling stations are open. There's been a much a tenfold increase in requests for mail ballots in states that don't usually do mail voting. Five states relied on male and voting before the pandemic and had very few problems. It's considered a very safe and effective way to vote with very low rates of fraud. The second reason mail voting has become an issue is President Trump, who has been claiming the widespread mail voting will inevitably lead to huge amounts of fraud. There's again little evidence for that. There are, however, plenty of Republicans who would like to vote by mail and want the party to continue voting by mail. And it's important to understand that in the places where there is widespread mail voting studies have shown that there is no big advantage to one party or the other.

This election is shaping up to be a record-breaker in the number of Americans who will be voting by mail.Millions have made early ballot requests, but what happens after you fill out your ballot and put it back in the mail — or in an official drop-box? According to a CNN review, 45 states and the District of Columbia allow you to track your ballot just like an Amazon package or food delivery.How ballot tracking worksEach ballot gets a specific number: Most states, with the help of USPS, send ballots envelopes with a unique set of numbers for each individual voter. Those numbers are often known as Intelligent Mail Barcodes, which allow the Postal Service to track the ballot.You can register to track them: They also enable states and localities to use ballot-tracking websites. The tracking technology isn't automatic, though — you'll have to register through your state's voter website to be able to track your ballot. You'll also have to enter some basic information into the website, including your name, birthday and zip code.The tracking sites vary in what they do: Some states show updates for each step of the mail-in voting process, while others simply indicate a ballot has been "sent" or "accepted" by local election officials.In some cases, this technology can also be used to notify voters when there's an issue with sending or accepting their ballot, giving you notice to fix it before it's too late.The states that have ballot tracking technologyHere's a list of each state's deadline for requesting a mail-in ballot, as well as which states offer ballot tracking and where to sign up.And if ballot tracking technology isn't available where you live, you can contact your local election office if you have questions or concerns about your ballot.Alabama: Oct. 29 (Track your ballot here)Alaska: Oct. 24 (Track your ballot here)Arizona: Oct. 23 (Track your ballot here)Arkansas: Nov. 2 (Track your ballot here)California: No request needed — all registered voters will be mailed ballots (Track your ballot here)Colorado: No request needed —all registered voters will be mailed ballots (Track your ballot here)Connecticut: Nov. 2 (No ballot tracking available)Delaware: Oct. 30 (Track your ballot here)District of Columbia: No request needed — ballots are automatically mailed to active voters (Track your ballot here)Florida: Nov. 3 (Track your ballot here)Georgia: Oct. 30 (Track your ballot here)Hawaii: No request needed — ballots automatically sent to all voters (Track your ballot here)Idaho: Nov. 3 (Track your ballot here)Illinois: Nov. 2 (No ballot tracking available)Indiana: Oct.22 (Track your ballot here)Iowa: Oct. 24 (Track your ballot here)Kansas: Oct. 27 (Track your ballot here)Kentucky: Oct. 9 (Track your ballot here)Louisiana: (Track your ballot here)Maine: Oct. 29 (Track your ballot here)Maryland: Oct. 20 (Track your ballot here)Massachusetts: Oct. 28 (Track your ballot here)Michigan: Oct. 30 (Track your ballot here)Minnesota: Nov. 2 (Track your ballot here)Mississippi: Oct. 31 (No ballot tracking available)Missouri: Oct. 21 (No ballot tracking available)Montana: Nov. 2 (Track your ballot here)Nebraska: Oct.23 (Track your ballot here)Nevada: No request needed — ballots are automatically sent to active voters (Track your ballot here)New Hampshire: Nov. 2 (Track your ballot here)New Jersey: No request needed — ballots are automatically mailed to all active voters who register by Oct. 5 (Track your ballot here)New Mexico: Oct. 20 (Track your ballot here)New York: Oct. 27 (Track your ballot here)North Carolina: Oct. 27 (Track your ballot here)North Dakota: Nov. 2 (Track your ballot here)Ohio: Oct. 31 (Track your ballot here)Oklahoma: Oct. 27 (Track your ballot here)Oregon: No request needed — ballots automatically sent to all voters (Track your ballot here)Pennsylvania: Oct. 27 (Track your ballot here)Rhode Island: Oct. 13 (Track your ballot here)South Carolina: Oct. 30 (Track your ballot here)South Dakota: Nov. 2 (Track your ballot here)Tennessee: Oct. 27 (Track your ballot here)Texas: Oct. 23 (No ballot tracking available)Utah: No request needed — ballots automatically sent to all voters (Track your ballot here)Vermont: No request needed — ballots automatically sent to all voters (Track your ballot here)Virginia: Oct. 23 (Track your ballot here)Washington: No request needed — ballots automatically sent to all voters (Track your ballot here)West Virginia: Oct. 28 (Track your ballot here)Wisconsin: Oct. 29 (Track your ballot here)Wyoming: Nov. 2 (Track your ballot here)

This election is shaping up to be a record-breaker in the number of Americans who will be voting by mail.

Millions have made early ballot requests, but what happens after you fill out your ballot and put it back in the mail — or in an official drop-box? According to a CNN review, 45 states and the District of Columbia allow you to track your ballot just like an Amazon package or food delivery.

How ballot tracking works

Each ballot gets a specific number: Most states, with the help of USPS, send ballots envelopes with a unique set of numbers for each individual voter. Those numbers are often known as , which allow the Postal Service to track the ballot.

You can register to track them: They also enable states and localities to use ballot-tracking websites. The tracking technology isn't automatic, though — you'll have to register through your state's voter website to be able to track your ballot. You'll also have to enter some basic information into the website, including your name, birthday and zip code.

The tracking sites vary in what they do: Some states show updates for each step of the mail-in voting process, while others simply indicate a ballot has been "sent" or "accepted" by local election officials.

In some cases, this technology can also be used to notify voters when there's an issue with sending or accepting their ballot, giving you notice to fix it before it's too late.

The states that have ballot tracking technology

Here's a list of each state's deadline for requesting a mail-in ballot, as well as which states offer ballot tracking and where to sign up.

And if ballot tracking technology isn't available where you live, you can contact your local election office if you have questions or concerns about your ballot.

Alabama: Oct. 29 (Track your ballot )

Alaska: Oct. 24 (Track your ballot )

Arizona: Oct. 23 (Track your ballot )

Arkansas: Nov. 2 (Track your ballot )

California: No request needed — all registered voters will be mailed ballots (Track your ballot )

Colorado: No request needed —all registered voters will be mailed ballots (Track your ballot )

Connecticut: Nov. 2 (No ballot tracking available)

Delaware: Oct. 30 (Track your ballot )

District of Columbia: No request needed — ballots are automatically mailed to active voters (Track your ballot )

Florida: Nov. 3 (Track your ballot )

Georgia: Oct. 30 (Track your ballot )

Hawaii: No request needed — ballots automatically sent to all voters (Track your ballot )

Idaho: Nov. 3 (Track your ballot )

Illinois: Nov. 2 (No ballot tracking available)

Indiana: Oct.22 (Track your ballot )

Iowa: Oct. 24 (Track your ballot )

Kansas: Oct. 27 (Track your ballot )

Kentucky: Oct. 9 (Track your ballot )

Louisiana: (Track your ballot )

Maine: Oct. 29 (Track your ballot )

Maryland: Oct. 20 (Track your ballot )

Massachusetts: Oct. 28 (Track your ballot )

Michigan: Oct. 30 (Track your ballot )

Minnesota: Nov. 2 (Track your ballot )

Mississippi: Oct. 31 (No ballot tracking available)

Missouri: Oct. 21 (No ballot tracking available)

Montana: Nov. 2 (Track your ballot )

Nebraska: Oct.23 (Track your ballot )

Nevada: No request needed — ballots are automatically sent to active voters (Track your ballot )

New Hampshire: Nov. 2 (Track your ballot )

New Jersey: No request needed — ballots are automatically mailed to all active voters who register by Oct. 5 (Track your ballot )

New Mexico: Oct. 20 (Track your ballot )

New York: Oct. 27 (Track your ballot )

North Carolina: Oct. 27 (Track your ballot )

North Dakota: Nov. 2 (Track your ballot )

Ohio: Oct. 31 (Track your ballot )

Oklahoma: Oct. 27 (Track your ballot )

Oregon: No request needed — ballots automatically sent to all voters (Track your ballot )

Pennsylvania: Oct. 27 (Track your ballot )

Rhode Island: Oct. 13 (Track your ballot )

South Carolina: Oct. 30 (Track your ballot )

South Dakota: Nov. 2 (Track your ballot )

Tennessee: Oct. 27 (Track your ballot )

Texas: Oct. 23 (No ballot tracking available)

Utah: No request needed — ballots automatically sent to all voters (Track your ballot )

Vermont: No request needed — ballots automatically sent to all voters (Track your ballot )

Virginia: Oct. 23 (Track your ballot )

Washington: No request needed — ballots automatically sent to all voters (Track your ballot )

West Virginia: Oct. 28 (Track your ballot )

Wisconsin: Oct. 29 (Track your ballot )

Wyoming: Nov. 2 (Track your ballot )

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