#12417. Vote-by-mail Ballot Rejection and Experience with Mail-in Voting

July 2026publication date
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Journal’s subject area:
Political Science and International Relations;
Sociology and Political Science;
Public Administration;
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Abstract:
Although most ballots in the United States have historically been cast in-person, Americans are increasingly voting by mail. Mail ballots can be rejected after being cast, and our analysis of the Florida general elections shows that voters inexperienced with mail voting disproportionately submit ballots that end up rejected due to (1) late arrival at elections offices or (2) signature defects on return envelopes. Inexperienced mail voters are up to three times more likely to have their ballots rejected compared to experienced mail voters, and this inexperience penalty varies by a voter’s party registration, race/ethnicity, and age. Our findings hold when controlling for additional voter characteristics and geographical fixed effects. The effect of inexperience on the likelihood of vote-by-mail ballot rejection risks exacerbating existing inequities in political representation already faced by younger and racial/ethnic minority voters.
Keywords:
absentee voting; ballot rejection; election administration; voter experience

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