*”**Last updated: August 27, 2020***
Given the ongoing spread of misinformation around voting in the U.S. elections this November, the Sikh Coalition is offering additional resources beyond the ability to easily check your voter registration status for free, including information about how to vote by mail.
Voting by mail is legal, safe, and widely practiced in the United States. It is the primary means of voting in states like Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Utah, and Hawaii. Voting by mail will allow people to participate in our democracy this November without having to fear for their health. There is no evidence that increased voting by mail will lead to fraud; voter fraud is, in general, a very rare phenomenon, and it is dangerous to use false claims or assumptions about fraud to attempt to delegitimize past or future election results.
We have put together a graphic below outlining critical information regarding state-by-state approaches to voting by mail. Given ongoing health and safety concerns around the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more important than ever to ensure that you are able to vote by mail if you wish to do so. In order to request a mail-in ballot, you must first be registered to vote. To register to vote, or check your voter registration status, click here. 
- Some states, in gold, are automatically providing all voters with a mail-in ballot. There is no deadline to request a ballot if you live in these states.
- Most states, in teal, have a deadline by which you need to request your mail-in ballot. (Note that there is no particular deadline for making these requests in North Dakota, New Hampshire, or Mississippi.)
- Some states require you to submit an ‘excuse’ for mail-in voting–a reason that you won’t be able to physically go to the polls. The states in blue accept concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic as a valid excuse.
- Some states, in purple, require you to submit an excuse for mail in voting, but do not currently allow concerns about COVID-19 to qualify. This means that you will have to physically go to the polls in order to cast your vote.
- A few states still have unclear rules about mail-in voting. These states will be colored in grey as rules around mail-in voting continues to change.
If you choose to vote by mail, it is recommended that you put your ballot in the mail more than two weeks in advance of the election on November 3. To ensure that your mail-in ballot is not rejected, you must also be sure to follow all instructions while filling it out, including signing it correctly.
Despite the fact that voting by mail is safe, many people were alarmed by President Trump’s remarks in August about blocking funding for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) in order to hamper mail-in voting. On August 18, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy announced that he would postpone any changes to the USPS until after the election to “avoid even the appearance of any impact on election mail.” For those who remain concerned, however, most states allow for mail-in ballots to be dropped off at election offices, polling places, or official drop boxes.
Almost every state allows voters to return their mail in ballot in person to the office of their local election official; you can look up the office closest to you here. In addition, some states even allow voters to return their ballots to any polling place in their county. And finally, a number of states are considering the expanded use of secure ballot drop-boxes for collecting mail-in ballots.
To ensure that your vote counts, it is critically important for you to follow your state’s specific guidelines on ballot submissions. Be sure to use our free tool to check your voter registration in order to find out your polling place and learn more about your state’s specific rules. You can also email gotv@sikhcoalition.org with any questions.
As always, the Sikh Coalition urges you to practice your faith fearlessly.
Note: The Sikh Coalition is a non-partisan, non-profit organization. All Get Out The Vote (GOTV) work is being done in support of broader Sikh American civic engagement, and not for the benefit of any candidate, elected official, or political party.