Election Day is usually when the majority of Americans head to the polls to cast their ballots and vote for the President and other government officials. But by the morning of Election Day this year, over 100 million Americans had already voted. Many point to the coronavirus pandemic as the cause for many people voting early and by mail-in ballot because they didn't want to be out in person. Others cite the hatred and fear being shown from the current administration that many people wanted their voices heard.
Either way, vote totals as of Wednesday afternoon (roughly 36 hours after election day) revealed margins between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden were getting thinner and thinner. Plus, Americans who voted by mail are encouraged to keep track of their mail-in ballot status, as discrepancies over ballot validity continue to threaten whether votes will be counted.
The rules for when ballots can be accepted and counted varies state-by-state. For example:
- Some states say your mail-in ballot has to be in by November 3rd.
- Other states like the Republican-run state of Pennsylvania say it has to be post-marked by November 3rd.
For this reason, it is also important to check your state's specific rules for counting ballots. While some states stopped counting ballots after Election Day, others will continue to count in the days that follow. Postal slowdowns due to an influx of mail-in ballots have caused concern for many who have voted this way, and ballots may be rejected for a variety of reasons.
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So how do you know your mail-in ballot has been counted? In many states, there are resources for tracking and checking the status of your mailed-in ballot. If your ballot has yet to be received, it is suggested that you call your local election officials for more information. And if you're still unsure what your state's rules are, the U.S. Vote Foundation has statewide voter information resources, where you can find general information, eligibility and identification requirements, local election office information, and more.
Below, find a list of resources by state to check the status of YOUR mail-in ballot:
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas (Only for military and/or overseas voters)
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- Washington, D.C.
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
North Carolina Absentee Tracking
North Carolina State Board of Elections launched a tool called BallotTrax, which allows you to see exactly what stage of the process your absentee ballot is in.
After you log in you, will see the status. Important to note, NCSBE says it will take roughly seven to 10 days to arrive.
You can use this same tool to track your absentee ballot after you mail it back if that is your ballot return of choice. A second tool is available for absentee voters in NC. On NCSBE.gov, under the voter search tool, you will find information related to your absentee ballot; however, within this tool, it does link you back to BallotTrax.
In-person early voting started on Oct. 15 and ran through Oct. 31st. Voters who received their absentee ballots by mail and delivered completed ballots to early voting sites in their county should expect them to be securely delivered to the county board of elections for processing.
South Carolina Absentee Tracking
You can track where your ballot is, both outbound and inbound. On SCVOTES.gov, find "voter absentee status request." Input your information and it will provide your absentee ballot tracking.
