Mail Ballot Deadlines 2026 by State: When Your Ballot Must Arrive, and Where a Nov. 3 Postmark Still Counts

In most states, a mailed ballot has to arrive by Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, to count. A postmark is not enough there: the ballot must be in the election office’s hands, usually by the time polls close. About 15 states and the District of Columbia are more forgiving and count ballots postmarked by Nov. 3 that arrive within a set window afterward. If you have not mailed your ballot yet, the safest move is to do it now or drop it off in person.

States that count a Nov. 3 postmark

State	Postmarked ballot must arrive by
Alaska	Nov. 13
California	Nov. 10
District of Columbia	Nov. 13
Illinois	Nov. 17
Kansas	Nov. 6 (under a court order)
Maryland	10 a.m. Nov. 13
Massachusetts	5 p.m. Nov. 6
Mississippi	Five business days after Election Day
Nevada	5 p.m. Nov. 7
New Jersey	144 hours after polls close
New York	Nov. 10
Oregon	Nov. 10
Texas	5 p.m. Nov. 4
Virginia	Noon Nov. 6
Washington	Before the county certifies results
West Virginia	Before the canvass begins

North Dakota has its own rule: ballots must be postmarked by the day before the election, Nov. 2, and arrive before the canvass.

States where the ballot must arrive by Election Day

Everywhere else, the ballot has to be received on or before Nov. 3. The deadline is usually the close of polls, but not always:

• Louisiana: 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 2, the day before Election Day.
• Alabama: noon on Nov. 3.
• New Hampshire: 5 p.m. on Nov. 3.
• Indiana and Kentucky: 6 p.m.
• Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Vermont and Wyoming: 7 p.m.
• Arkansas, North Carolina and Ohio: 7:30 p.m.
• Idaho, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah and Wisconsin: 8 p.m.
• Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Tennessee: when polls close.

The free printable below lists all 50 states and D.C. in one table.

What the Supreme Court decided

Republican Party groups sued Mississippi in 2024, arguing that the federal law setting Election Day meant ballots had to arrive by that day. A federal appeals court agreed, putting grace periods across the country in doubt. In Watson v. Republican National Committee, decided in June 2026 after arguments on March 23, the Supreme Court reversed that ruling. It held that federal Election Day statutes do not require ballots to be received by Election Day, so states may count ballots postmarked by Election Day that arrive afterward.

The decision did not require any state to adopt a grace period. Each state’s own law still decides.

Kansas: back to a grace period, for now

A 2025 Kansas law, Senate Bill 4, ended the state’s three-day grace period. On July 16, 2026, a Douglas County district judge blocked it, and the Kansas Court of Appeals and then the Kansas Supreme Court declined to lift the order. For the Nov. 3 election, Kansas counts ballots postmarked by Election Day that arrive by Friday, Nov. 6. The case continues.

When to mail it

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) recommends mailing a completed ballot at least one week before the state’s deadline. In states that require arrival by Election Day, that means by about Tuesday, Oct. 27. After that, use a drop box or return it in person where your state allows, by the close of polls. Many states let you track your ballot online; your county or state election office has a link.

Do not wait on a postmark in a grace-period state either. Postal facilities do not always postmark the day a ballot is dropped in a mailbox, so mailing early protects you.

Military and overseas voters

Voters covered by the federal overseas voting law often have different, more generous deadlines. Check with your state election office or the Federal Voting Assistance Program.

For poll hours on Election Day, see what time polls close in every state, and to see your full ballot first, read our guide to finding your sample ballot. Mark the mailing deadline on our October and November printable calendars.