Like the 2024 showdown between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump inches closer, a large portion of the American population is once again choosing to vote by mail. According to figures from the University of Florida, more than 67 million ballots were requested and more than 34.4 million returned as of Sunday morning, November 3.

While mail-in voting has become increasingly common since the pandemic, few are recent accidents have shaken some voters’ confidence in the system. Just this week, there were polls in Oregon and Washington set on firewhile inside Miamia stash of sealed ballots fell from an election worker’s truck, fueling concern among voters.

If you’ve already cast your vote by mail but are concerned about it reaching its final destination, your state may allow you to track the status of your ballot online. In addition to reducing the number of calls to local election offices, these tracking systems can restore confidence in the voting process, says national elections expert Amber McReynolds.

“Voters, if they’ve signed up for something like this, or even if they just call and look up the information, it actually gives them confidence that their ballot has been received and processed successfully,” McReynolds said.

In which states can you track your ballot?

All states – except Illinois, Missouri and Wyoming – and Washington DC offer some form of ballot tracking for mail-in and absentee ballots. Vote.org has links to each of the 47 states’ tracking tools, as well as resources for those with questions about the status of a provisional ballot. Find your state’s lookup tool here.

Steps to track your ballot

So you dropped your absentee or mail-in ballot. What now?

The first step is to navigate to your state’s online portal, where you will be asked to provide basic information such as your first and last name, date of birth, and zip code.

Tracking varies depending on the state, so in some cases voters may only see basic information, such as when their ballot was mailed and when it was received on the online portal. In other cases, they have the option to sign up for notifications via text message, email, or phone call through services like BallotTrax or Enhanced Voting. These systems provide the voter with more detailed updates via text, email or phone calls throughout the voting process.

Another way to keep an eye on your ballot is to sign up for Informed Delivery through this U.S. Postal Service, which allows users to view images of incoming mail and packages.

How is my ballot tracked?

Ballot tracking typically involves coordination between the USPS, election officials, and the ballot printing and preparation vendor.

Like Enhanced Voting, another online tracking tool, BallotTrax uses what they call a unique Intelligent Mail Barcodes (IMB) identifier that captures data about the whereabouts of ballots. The USPS barcodes – embedded on the envelopes – combined with voter registration data give the company visibility into the ballot’s life cycle, allowing them to track it every step of the way and provide updates to voters, such as when the ballot is out. delivery for example. They do this without ever learning personal voting information.

“We never have access to the ballot itself and it remains anonymous throughout its life cycle,” said Steve Olsen, president of BallotTrax.

What can you do if you still have not received your ballot or if your ballot has not been received and counted?

Voters can turn to local election officials if they experience wrinkles in the voting process or have general questions about their voting options. According to Vote.org, officials can provide guidance on whether it is possible to vote with a replacement ballot, or whether it is best to cancel your mail-in ballot and vote in person on Election Day instead.

Those with questions can find contact information for their local elections office at vote.org.

What other sources exist?

Nonpartisan volunteers at the national hotline 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683) can answer general election-related questions. About 4,000 volunteers will be working on election day. Below you will find a selection of the questions they can answer.

• Am I registered/is it too late to register?
• Am I eligible for early/absentee voting?
• How do I receive a ballot by mail?
• Where is my polling station?
• My ballot did not arrive and I will be out of state on Election Day. What can I do to vote?
• Is my early voting polling location the same as my polling place on Election Day?
• My ballot is missing the secrecy envelope, what should I do?
• I am a student who attends school out of state. Can I vote where I go to school?
• I have previously been convicted of a crime, can I vote?