Let’s find your ballot

Thank you for telling us. A missing ballot is usually one of two things: it is sitting in a spam folder, or it has not been sent yet. The four steps below sort out which, in the order that costs you the least time.

States must send the first round of absentee ballots to overseas voters by September 19, 2026. If you requested yours after that, it goes out later. And if that date has only just passed, your ballot may simply still be on its way — especially if you asked for it by post.

1. 1

   Check your spam and junk folders

   If you asked for your ballot by email, this is where it most often ends up. Search your whole mailbox — not just the inbox — for the word ballot and for the name of your county, parish or town.

   The message comes from your local election office, so it will not have our name on it. Look in any Promotions, Updates or Other tabs too, and check the folder your mail provider uses for messages it thinks are bulk. When you find it, add the sender to your contacts so nothing else from that office is filtered.

2. 2

   Check whether your state has sent it

   Most states publish an online lookup that shows whether your ballot has gone out, and when. That tells you whether you are chasing a delivery or a registration — two very different problems. Your state guide has the tracking link next to the return deadline that applies to you.

   A lookup that cannot find you often means your registration has not been processed yet, or was filed under a slightly different name or address. It does not necessarily mean anything is wrong, but it is worth asking about in step 3.

   Your voting stateChoose your stateAlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyomingDistrict of Columbia

   See which states have an online ballot lookup

3. 3

   Ask your local election official

   This is the step that actually resolves it. Your local election official holds your record: they can tell you what was sent, when, and to which address or inbox, and what your options are if it never reached you. Search below for their phone number, email and address.

   Calling from overseas? Our guide to dialing a U.S. election office covers time zones and what to have in front of you.

   Enter the U.S. address where you last lived

   We use your address to find your local election official. Your address is not stored.

4. 4

   Tell us it hasn’t arrived

   We track delivery problems across states and raise the pattern with election officials. One report is an anecdote; a few hundred is evidence. It takes a minute and does not need your address.

   Report a late ballot