2020 Election

Vote Smarter 2020: Can You Vote On Election Day If You Voted By Mail?

Newsy's Vote Smarter 2020 aims to provide you with all the information you'll need to safely and successfully cast your ballot this year.

Vote Smarter 2020: Can You Vote On Election Day If You Voted By Mail?
Newsy

Should you vote on Election Day if you already voted by mail to ensure your vote is counted?

"You cannot vote twice. If you request a mail ballot, it's notated. So if you showed up in person, when they sign you in, they would see the notation that you, in fact, requested an absentee ballot," said Bob Brandon, the president of the Fair Elections Center.

"So if you've already cast your absentee ballot, going to the polls on Election Day is not a good way to verify that that ballot has been accepted or counted," said Matthew Weil, the director of the Election Project at the Bipartisan Policy Center. 

People who choose to vote by mail are encouraged to confirm their ballot was received. But most states make that easy by offering online ballot tracking

To be clear: Voting more than once is illegal in every state, territory and Washington, D.C. To ensure your vote counts, plan ahead. 

"So people need to make the choice now whether they are going to vote early or by absentee or if they want to vote in person. And if they have questions or they have regrets, then they also need to contact their local registrar, which can make very clear what those options are," said Khalilah Brown-Dean, an associate professor of political science and senior director for inclusive excellence at Quinnipiac University.