How to Vote by Mail: A Guide

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The pandemic will mean that many more Americans vote by mail this year.

All 50 states require people to register before they can cast a mail-in vote. But from there, the rules diverge wildly.

Some states send mail-in forms automatically, others require voters to request an absentee ballot. And while a majority of states accept the coronavirus as a reason for not going to a polling station, some — including Indiana, Tennessee and Texas — do not.

And a lot could still change. Our correspondent Luke Broadwater, a reporter in Washington, says there are more than 300 challenges to voting-related rules winding through courts across the country.

Americans should probably brace for a different kind of election night — it could be days or longer before the full picture of results emerges.

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On today’s episode

• Luke Broadwater, a congressional reporter for The New York Times.

Background reading

• Republicans fear that President Trump’s messaging on voting by mail could depress turnout. But Democrats worry an overreliance on the mail could leave more of their votes uncounted.

• A New York Times Magazine investigation found that misleading and false claims about widespread voter fraud are part of a long disinformation effort — one that Mr. Trump has taken to new extremes.

• Here’s how to vote in your state.

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Luke Broadwater contributed reporting.

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