Rossen Reports: What’s the difference between absentee ballots and mail-in ballots?
Updated: 9:27 AM CDT Sep 4, 2020
Hi. Yeah, we want to clear this up for you once and for all. So let's get going. What is the difference between an absentee ballot and a mail in ballot? Is one safer than the other? Lots of controversy. Here, let me walk you through this nice and easy. It's the way I like getting my information to first. It's important to understand this is nothing new. In fact, it's been around for over a century. Soldiers in the Civil War cast their vote back in 18 64. That's when Abraham Lincoln was re elected president in 2012. Look at this. 29.6 million people voted by mail in some form in 2016 the last presidential election. Look, that number jumped up to 33.6 million people. So yeah, it's been around. So the big question What is the difference between absentee ballots and mail in voting? Is one safer than the other? Let's go. Do you see this? This right here we are. It's an absentee ballot. If you can't make it to a polling location, you fill out an application with your excuse like you're deployed. The military or you have an illness forcing you to be home bound. But now most states are saying the Corona viruses a good enough reason. I just don't feel safe going good enough, and your state sends you an absentee ballot to cast your vote and mail it in. President Trump says. All good. He's all for absentee voting, and in fact, he's voted himself that way. But now the mail in voting. This is what the president has been complaining about. So what is mail in voting and what is the difference between that and absentee? Let me make a copy of the absentee ballot. We have the absentee ballot right here. Boom magic of TV. Make a copy. Bring it over here. So you see this? That's a ballot for mail in voting. This is an absentee ballot. There's no difference. It's the same thing. And that's not a political statement. There is no real difference. That's fact. It's the same ballot, how you send it in. Also the same this way. Brooke. That's my sound effect, and that's a mailbox. They both go in through the U. S. Postal Service, absentee and mail. In the Onley difference is how you get your ballot. All states allow some type of mail in voting. That's not a Republican thing. Or a Democratic thing is just a election thing this year. Some are making it easier. So where do you need to request an application for an absentee about? Let me hap out of the way here. I'm gonna come this way and show you all of those states. I'm gonna give you a second to find your own state. This is where you need to request an application. Now, let me hop back in. Change the map up, coming out of the way again. Show you the states where registered voters automatically get an application for a ballot. So basically, you forgot to request one. But you're a registered voter. You'll get the application. Hi, I'm back. Now, I want to give you another bucket of states. These states air saying if you're a registered voter, we know it's a crazy year. Will mail registered voters ballots automatically? No application, no eligibility requirement at all. You get a ballot in your hands and get in the way. Show you those states. These are those states. Take a look to see where you live, okay? Don't worry, it's all on Rossen reports dot com. We'll get to that, but I want to point this out, and this is important. You have to be a registered voter in all of these scenarios, no matter what. My 10 year old daughter isn't getting a ballot in the mail because she's a U. S citizen. It's not like balance for everyone. You already have to be a registered voter, so that's literally it. Mail in voting, absentee voting all done the same way. Either way, the U. S mail has to deliver your ballot. Either way, you have to be a registered voter. The ballot sold good of the same place and remember an absentee ballot and the mail in ballot. It's the same ballot number. Same ballot, no difference. I know it's a lot. There are a lot of states with all these differences and how they're doing things. We got you covered. No matter where you live, head over to Rawson reports dot com. We have put together a really easy state by state breakdown and a really cool interactive map, and we also have info on how you can request a ballot right now. I hope it helps back to you
Rossen Reports: What’s the difference between absentee ballots and mail-in ballots?
Updated: 9:27 AM CDT Sep 4, 2020
There is mass confusion about voting by mail. Everyone's throwing around terms like “mail in” and “absentee” ballots. Have no fear — our Chief National Consumer Correspondent Jeff Rossen is cutting through the confusion: It’s Ballots 101. So, what's the difference between and absentee ballot and a mail-in ballot? Is one safer than the other? We’re going to walk you through it.First, it’s important to understand that this is nothing new. In fact, it's been around for over a century. Soldiers in the Civil War cast their vote in 1864 when Abraham Lincoln was re-elected president. In 2012, 29.6 million people voted by mail in some form. In 2016, that number jumped to 33.6 million people. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has suggested voters could try to vote by mail and head to the polls in person, too — basically voting twice. Election experts say the entire system is computerized. They know who voted in person and they know who voted by mail. Every ballot has a barcode assigned to you. So — this year — as with every election in the past, if you try to vote twice, you’ll get caught and prosecuted for voter fraud, and only one of your votes would count anyway. App users, click here to see your state's mail-in ballot 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Take a look at the video above as we break it all down.
There is mass confusion about voting by mail. Everyone's throwing around terms like “mail in” and “absentee” ballots. Have no fear — our Chief National Consumer Correspondent Jeff Rossen is cutting through the confusion: It’s Ballots 101.
So, what's the difference between and absentee ballot and a mail-in ballot? Is one safer than the other?
We’re going to walk you through it.
First, it’s important to understand that this is nothing new.
In fact, it's been around for over a century. Soldiers in the Civil War cast their vote in 1864 when Abraham Lincoln was re-elected president. In 2012, 29.6 million people voted by mail in some form. In 2016, that number jumped to 33.6 million people.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has suggested voters could try to vote by mail and head to the polls in person, too — basically voting twice. Election experts say the entire system is computerized. They know who voted in person and they know who voted by mail. Every ballot has a barcode assigned to you.
So — this year — as with every election in the past, if you try to vote twice, you’ll get caught and prosecuted for voter fraud, and only one of your votes would count anyway.
App users, click here to see your state's mail-in ballot policy
Take a look at the video above as we break it all down.