Election Day is nearly four months away, but some states will begin sending out mail-in ballots early next month. 

Mail-in voting has become more popular in recent elections, and some states have expanded options for voters. And this election season, millions of Americans will cast their vote for president via the U.S. Postal Service. 

Kim Wyman, who has worked with the USPS on mail ballot elections in Washington state for more than 30 years, says it’s a trend she’s noticed over the past few decades.

“I think what's really changed in the last probably 10 years is there is technology that is really aiding the USPS and allowing voters to track their own ballot,” she said. “It's really a great tool for voters to be able to make sure that their ballot was returned to election officials in time to be counted.”

The U.S. saw a surge in voting by mail during the 2020 election, in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Postal Service delivered at least 135 million ballots to and from voters. But all that mail made up just 0.11% of the total mail volume. 

In a statement, the USPS said it has “more than enough capacity to handle all election mail in 2024.”

Fewer people voted by mail in the 2022 midterm elections, but overall turnout for midterm elections is also lower that presidential elections. The USPS delivered 54.4 million ballots to and from voters in 2022.

Wyman predicts that mail-in participation this year won’t top the 2020 election, but will be higher than in 2022.

Voters in both parties have begun to take advantage of mail-in voting despite years of attacks from former President Donald Trump and Republicans on the practice.

“I think Republicans are kind of coming around to that idea mail-in ballots aren't going to hurt them,” said Samara Klar, Professor of Political Science at the University of Arizona. “In fact, they're probably going to help them.”

Trump urged voters not to vote by mail in the 2020 election, saying at a rally that voting “shouldn’t be something where they send you a pile of stuff and you send it back.”

But he’s since changed his tune. In a rally in July, Trump urged voters to vote by any method.

“You got to vote early? Vote absentee? I don’t care how you vote,” he said.

Klar said the option to vote by mail helps both parties, because it increases turnout and brings people to the polls who may not otherwise have been able to participate.

The rules for voting by mail vary by state. Eight states and the District of Columbia automatically send all registered voters a ballot in the mail, and they can choose whether to fill it out and mail it back, or vote in person on election day. Among these are California and Hawaii.

Other states, including Florida, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and New York, offer “no excuse” absentee voting. Under these rules, all registered voters can request a mail-in ballot, and don’t need to give a reason.

The remaining states, including Texas and Kentucky, require voters to request a mail-in ballot, and give a valid excuse to get one. The requirements for excuses vary by state, but in many states, valid excuses include age and disability.

Wyman said, “In some states you have to have a written excuse, and it has to meet certain criteria to qualify, and in other states, you just have to have some reason why you can't be at the polling place during election day or in the early voting period.”

The U.S. Postal Service recommends voters mail in their ballots at least one week before their state’s deadline. Wyman also suggests checking for state or local election office requirements, which can be found here. She says now is a good time to check — well before Election Day — so you have plenty of time to update your address or request a ballot by mail.