If you walked into a polling place in the 90s, the idea of half the country voting from their kitchen tables would have sounded like sci-fi. Things have changed. Fast. Honestly, the shift in how we actually cast our ballots is probably the biggest structural change in American democracy in our lifetime.
So, what percentage of voters vote by mail exactly?
The short answer is that in the 2024 general election, about 29% of voters cast their ballots by mail. If you’re looking at the broader "early voting" bucket—which includes both mail-in and early in-person—you’re looking at nearly 60% of the entire electorate.
But wait. That 29% number is a bit of a comedown from the chaos of 2020. Back then, 43% of us used the mail. We were in the middle of a pandemic, and states were basically throwing stamps at anyone who would take them. Many pundits thought we’d never go back to the polls in person. They were wrong.
The Great Post-Pandemic Rebound
What’s wild is that while mail voting dipped from its 2020 peak, it didn't crash back to 2016 levels. In 2016, only about 21% of people voted by mail. We’ve settled into this "new normal" where roughly 1 in 3 Americans prefer the mailbox over the curtained booth.
It’s not uniform. Not even close. If you live in Oregon, Washington, or Colorado, you basically only vote by mail. In the West, about 73.5% of voters used the mail in 2024. Compare that to the South, where only about 11.4% did. In the South, people love early in-person voting—over half the region did that.
Why the sudden shift?
Basically, it's about the law.
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MIT’s Election Lab has been tracking this for years, and they've found a massive divide between "no-excuse" states and "excuse-required" states. In 2022, an average of 23.3% of voters in no-excuse states used the mail. In states where you still need a reason—like being sick or out of town—that number plummeted to 5.4%.
It’s not just about convenience. It’s about access.
- All-Mail States: Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Hawaii, Utah, California, Nevada, and Vermont. They send a ballot to every active registered voter. Period.
- No-Excuse States: Most of the country. You can ask for a ballot just because you don't feel like putting on pants on Tuesday.
- Excuse States: A shrinking group (think Alabama or Mississippi) where you still need a valid "out of town" or "medical" reason.
Who is actually using the mail?
You might think it’s just young, tech-savvy voters. Wrong.
According to the 2024 Census data, voters 65 and older voted by mail at the highest rate (36.8%). It makes sense. If you have mobility issues or just don’t want to stand in a November drizzle for two hours, the mail is a godsend.
There’s also a massive racial and ethnic split that most people don't talk about. Asian voters cast mail-in ballots at a rate of 46.5%—the highest of any group. Meanwhile, Black voters had the highest rate of early in-person voting. It’s a fascinating cultural difference in how different communities engage with the process.
The Partisan Gap is Closing (Sorta)
We’ve all heard the narrative: Democrats vote by mail, Republicans vote on Election Day.
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That was definitely true in 2020. The gap was a canyon. But in 2024, the gap narrowed. In 2020, 60% of Democrats voted by mail compared to 32% of Republicans. In 2024, that Democratic number dropped to 37%, while Republicans sat at 24%.
Basically, Democrats are going back to the polls in person, and some Republicans are starting to embrace the mail again. Even though some political leaders still knock mail-in voting, their campaigns have realized that "banking" votes early is just smart math. You don't want a blizzard on Tuesday to wipe out your entire turnout strategy.
What about the "Drop Box" factor?
Here is something that confuses people: just because you have a mail-in ballot doesn't mean you use the mail.
MIT found that about 21% of "mail" ballots are actually hand-delivered to a drop box or a local election office. People don't always trust the USPS with their vote, or they just wait until the last minute and realize a stamp won't get it there in time.
Does it actually help turnout?
This is the billion-dollar question.
Early studies in Oregon suggested that switching to all-mail voting boosted turnout by 10%. But lately, political scientists have been more skeptical. It seems like mail voting mostly makes it easier for people who were already going to vote. It doesn't necessarily drag non-voters off the couch in huge numbers, though "universal ballot delivery" (sending everyone a ballot) does show the strongest link to small, consistent turnout bumps.
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The Logistics of the 2026 Midterms
As we look toward the 2026 midterms, what percentage of voters vote by mail will likely stay in that 25-30% range.
The infrastructure is now permanent. States like Michigan and Pennsylvania have overhauled their systems to handle millions of envelopes. The "blue shift" or "red mirage" (where Election Day results look different from the final count because mail ballots are processed later) isn't going away either.
If you want to be part of that 29% next time, here is what you actually need to do:
- Check your state's deadline: Many states require you to request a mail ballot at least 7-14 days before the election.
- Verify your signature: This is the #1 reason ballots get rejected. If the signature on your ballot doesn't match the one on your driver's license from 2012, you might have a problem.
- Track your ballot: Most states now have "ballot tracking" where you get a text or email when your vote is received and counted. It's like tracking a Domino's pizza, but for democracy.
- Use a drop box if you're late: If it's within 3 days of the election, don't trust the post office. Find a secure, official drop box.
Voting by mail is no longer a "pandemic fluke." It's a fundamental part of the American machinery. Whether you love the tradition of the polling place or the convenience of the kitchen table, the numbers show that the mailbox is here to stay.
To prepare for the next cycle, check your registration status at Vote.org and look up your specific state's mail-in requirements at the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.