Absentee-by-mail ballots are paper ballots that are mailed to voters who must then fill them out and return them, often with the voter's signature and sometimes a witness signature to prove the voter's identity. In 35 states and Washington, D.C., any qualified voter may vote absentee-by-mail without offering an excuse, and in the remaining states, an excuse is required. For example, Georgia allows anyone to vote by mail while voters in New York can’t vote absentee by mail unless they are out of town on Election Day, ill, disabled, taking care of someone who is ill or disabled, in a Veterans Health Administration hospital, or in jail for a non felony offense.
