Engage with the history and evolution of absentee voting, explore state-by-state differences in absentee and vote-by-mail policies, and evaluate debates surrounding the expansion of voting by mail.
" "Election Day, November 8, 1864," Thomas Nast, Harper's Weekly, November 12, 1864, zoomable image," House Divided: The Civil War Research Engine at Dickinson College, https://hd.housedivided.dickinson.edu/node/43184.
General Background
Ensuring fair access to the ballot is a core principle of democratic governance. Students should understand the history of absentee voting systems, how those systems first developed during times of conflict, and how absentee and vote-by-mail practices have evolved to broaden (or, at times, limit) voting access. Students will also consider how technology, emergency circumstances, and state-level choices have shaped the accessibility and security of voting by mail in the United States.
Map of Absentee and Mail-In Voting Policies in the United States
Movement Advancement Project. "Availability of No-Excuse Absentee Voting." For full data visit https://www.mapresearch.org/democracy-maps/absentee_requirements.
Primary Source Link
West Virginia Code §3-3-1 — Absentee Voting Law
Primary Source Questions for Students
- According to West Virginia Code §3-3-1, who is eligible to vote absentee in West Virginia?
- What steps must a voter take to apply for and submit an absentee ballot in West Virginia?
- How does West Virginia’s absentee voting process compare with states that automatically mail ballots to all voters?
- What types of barriers might voters face under an excuse-based absentee voting system?
- Why might a state maintain an excuse requirement, even as others move to no-excuse absentee voting?
- How might absentee voting rules impact voter turnout in different communities?