https://ballotpedia.org/What_happens_if_someone_votes_by_absentee/mail-in_ballot_and_dies_before_Election_Day%3F_(2024) x Get Email Updates from Ballotpedia Email * [ ] First Name * [ ] Last Name [ ] Please complete the Captcha above [Subscribe] x Ballotpedia on Facebook Share this page Follow Ballotpedia x Ballotpedia on Twitter Share this page Follow Ballotpedia Subscribe Donate Subscribe Subscribe Ballotpedia Logo Ballotpedia Logo [ ] [Go] Donate SBLT - Sitenotice Banner-02.png What happens if someone votes by absentee/mail-in ballot and dies before Election Day? (2024) From Ballotpedia Jump to: navigation, search To find out what's on your ballot and more, visit Ballotpedia's 2024 Voter Toolkit. Help desk logo notext.png Ballotpedia's 2024 Election Help Desk ------------------------------------------------------------- << 2022 ------------------------------------------------------------- Frequently asked questions Can I register to vote online? Can I register to vote on Election Day? Do I need voter ID? Can I check the status of my absentee ballot? When can states start counting absentee ballots? What is a provisional ballot? Can candidates win an election if they have already conceded? ------------------------------------------------------------- Elections by state [Alabama ]Submit How absentee/mail-in ballots are processed and counted varies from state to state. In the case of a voter who casts a valid absentee/ mail-in ballot but then dies prior to election day, state laws are split. Ten states have laws allowing such ballots to be counted, and nine states have laws prohibiting counting such ballots. At least two additional states have attorney general opinions prohibiting such ballots from being counted. The remaining states either have laws that apply only in specific situations, or do not have laws addressing the issue.^[1] Several factors complicate state laws on the question. Sometimes, by the time death records are updated and election officials can be notified of those updates, the short window to count ballots has passed. Additionally, once a ballot has been removed from its envelope, it cannot be traced back to an individual voter.^[2] The following states allow absentee/mail-in ballots to be counted if the voter dies before the election:^[1] * Arkansas * Florida * Hawaii * Louisiana * Maryland * Massachusetts * Montana * North Dakota * Tennessee * Virginia Connecticut allows such ballots to be counted if the voter was in the armed services. The following states prohibit absentee/mail-in ballots from being counted if the voter dies before the election:^[1] * Delaware * Illinois * Indiana * Iowa * Kentucky^[3] * Mississippi^[3] * New Hampshire * New Jersey * Pennsylvania * South Dakota * Wisconsin Missouri prohibits such ballots from being counted if it is proven that the voter died before polls opened and the ballot envelope has not yet been opened. Colorado, Kansas and New York allow such ballots to be challenged and rejected if the voter died before Election Day. See also * Absentee/mail-in voting * Absentee/mail-in voting eligibility * How does absentee/mail-in voting work? * How to request an absentee/mail-in ballot * How can I check the status of my ballot? * What happens if I vote by mail and want to change my ballot at a later date? * What happens if someone votes by mail and then tries to vote in person? * Do absentee/mail-in ballots take longer to count than in-person ballots? * Absentee/mail-in voting signature and witness requirements * How do states verify absentee/mail-in ballots? * How do election workers match signatures? * Ballot curing rules by state * When can states begin processing and counting absentee/mail-in ballots? * Processing, counting, and challenging absentee/mail-in ballots in the states Footnotes 1. | ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 NCSL, "What happens if an absentee voter dies before election day," August 21, 2024 2. | NBC Connecticut, "What happens if you cast an absentee ballot and die before election day," October 19, 2020 3. | ^3.0 ^3.1 By attorney general opinion v * e Ballotpedia's 2024 Election Help Desk Voting in 2024 * Who can I contact with questions about voting? * Who runs elections in the United States? * Why do states have different election rules? * Can I register to vote online? * Does my state have same-day voter registration? * Do I need voter ID? * Do I have to vote for everything on my General ballot? * What happens if I mark outside the information lines or use the wrong pen/pencil? * Can I take a ballot selfie? * Is my employer required to grant me time off to vote? * Can I vote if I have a felony conviction? * Can I vote if I am not a citizen? * How are candidates ordered on the ballot? * What is a provisional ballot? * What does it mean to challenge a voter's eligibility, and who can do it? Important 2024 voter registration deadlines * 2024 dates and early voting dates * 2024 absentee/mail-in deadlines ballot request deadlines * 2024 absentee/ mail-in ballot return deadlines Absentee/mail-in voting * Absentee/mail-in voting eligibility * How can I check the status of my ballot? * What happens if I vote by mail and want to change my ballot at a later date? * What happens if someone votes Absentee/ by mail and then tries to vote in person? * mail-in What happens if someone votes by absentee/ voting mail-in ballot and dies before Election Day? * Do absentee/mail-in ballots take longer to count than in-person ballots? * How do election workers match signatures? * When can states begin processing and counting absentee Help desk /mail-in ballots? logo Reporting Are results reported on election night coming notext.png and from in-person or absentee/mail-in votes? * certifying How do major media outlets declare winners? * election What happens if candidates declare victory results before results are final? Can candidates win an election if they have already conceded? * Election recount laws and Disputing procedures in the 50 states * Who can request election a recount? * Who pays for recounts and results contested elections? * Who can file election-related lawsuits? * Who can call a redo election? * What are the reasons to call a redo election? What are the steps and deadlines for electing the President of the United States? * Can presidential candidates win the election if they have already conceded? * What happens if a presidential nominee becomes incapacitated Presidential before the election? * What happens if the election winning presidential candidate becomes incapacitated before taking office? * What happens if a presidential candidate declares victory in the 2024 election before results are final? * Can a redo be held for a presidential election? What is the Electoral College? * What are faithless electors in the Electoral College? * What happens if there is a tie in the Electoral Electoral College? * Can members of Congress College object to Electoral College results? * What does the Electoral Count Reform Act mean for the 2024 presidential election? * What is the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact? Retrieved from "https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title= What_happens_if_someone_votes_by_absentee/ mail-in_ballot_and_dies_before_Election_Day%3F_(2024)&oldid=9976428" Categories: * Election Help Desk, 2024 * Election policy tracking Ballotpedia features 528,882 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers. Click here to contact our editorial staff or report an error. For media inquiries, contact us here. Please donate here to support our continued expansion. 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