Americans Are Already Voting. The System Is Working.

Campaign signs have blanketed towns for months, commercial breaks are now filled with one “vote for me” ad after another, and must-watch debates have begun in key toss-up races across the country. With less than three weeks to go until Election Day, we have officially entered early voting season.

And voters are already showing up big.

According to the University of Florida Election Lab’s tracker, well over six million Americans have already cast their ballots through mail voting. Overall, early voting is running roughly on pace with the 2024 election and well ahead of the 2022 cycle.

Across the country, voters are researching candidates, filling out their ballots, and sending them in. And those ballots are landing where they should: Election offices are receiving them, confirming them, and logging them as accepted. And voters who cast their ballot by mail can check online to ensure their ballot has arrived safely in almost every state.

Why It Matters

Mail ballots are safe, secure, and used in every state in the country. In fact, almost a third of all eligible voters used a mail ballot in the 2024 general election. And despite narratives casting doubt on the integrity of mail ballot processes, voters should feel confident that their ballot will be accepted and counted — about 99 of every 100 mail ballots were accepted and counted in the last general election.

That record means everyday Americans got a say in their government. Think of the parent who can’t find a babysitter, the nurse working a double shift, the senior who doesn’t drive anymore, or the farmer in a rural county an hour from the nearest polling place. Voting by mail means they get a say, too.

We know the process works. Every mail ballot goes through layers of precautions before it’s counted, and the dedicated election officials running our elections are trained to make these checks. The rest is up to us: Help every single eligible voter make a plan and get their ballot in on time.

Building Systems Voters Can Trust

Mail ballots are protected by layers of independent checks, the same way in-person voting is. Here’s what it means for voters.

• Verified voters only. Ballots are only sent to registered voters whose information has been checked against official records.
• Secure mail. Every ballot is linked to a single voter and verified upon its return to make sure that it is used to cast a single vote.
• Ballot tracking. In most places, voters can follow their ballot from delivery to return and count so voters aren’t left wondering. Many voters can sign up for a text or email when their ballot is mailed, received, and accepted.
• Signature checks. Voters sign a legal affirmation on every ballot, and most states compare that signature to official records as an added layer of security. Envelopes aren’t processed unless the signature matches and there are no signs of tampering. Missing or non-matching signatures have been the most common reason mail ballots are rejected, so this is where the safeguard matters most. In many states, bipartisan teams review flagged signatures and contact the voter before anything is counted. That means a voter who forgot to sign can get a call, a letter, or an email and a chance to add or confirm their signature, instead of a rejected ballot.
• Locked-down handling. Strict chain-of-custody rules, controlled access, and surveillance protect ballots once they arrive.

The People Behind It

This work is possible because of election officials across the country, who dedicate their time to ensuring secure elections. Right now, election workers are hard at work: sending out ballots, processing the ones that come back, matching signatures, tracking every envelope, and picking up the phone when a voter has a question.

Take Massachusetts. In early October, state election officials announced that more than 600,000 mail ballots were already on their way to voters who had asked for one, with roughly 300,000 more set to go out within days. Voters can track their ballot online from the moment it’s mailed, and when it’s time to send it back, they can use a secure drop box, available in most cities and towns, that goes straight to their local election office.

In Montana, where about three in four voters cast their ballots by mail, election officials sent more than 575,000 ballots to voters earlier this month. Montanans can track their ballot online and return it by mail or in person, following the instructions from their county election office.

More than a million voters in these two states alone had a ballot on its way weeks before Election Day, along with a clear way to follow it home. That’s the system doing exactly what it’s designed to do.

The Institute for Responsive Government is committed to working alongside election officials to ensure safe and secure mail voting. When questions come up about how voting works or a real problem needs fixing, we are here to explain what’s happening and help solve it, so every election is both secure and accessible.

Bottom Line

Americans do not have to wait until Election Day to see our election system at work.

Across the nation, people are already voting, their ballots are being received and accepted, and the system is delivering what it was designed to deliver. The most useful thing anyone can do right now is remind their friends, family, and neighbors to make a plan, track their ballot, and get it in early. Election officials have put in too much work to let doubt be the reason someone misses their chance to have their voices heard.