When does a mail ballot have to arrive to count?
The arrival deadline depends on your state: some require receipt by election day, others count ballots that arrive later if postmarked on time.
Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio, and North Carolina require your mail ballot to arrive by election day, November 3, 2026. New York counts a ballot postmarked or dated on or before election day and received by November 10, 2026. Virginia counts a ballot postmarked on or before election day and received by the third day after the election.
States that require receipt by election day
In Pennsylvania a mail-in or absentee ballot must be received by the county board by 8 p.m. on election day, under 25 P.S. 3146.8. In Florida a vote-by-mail ballot must reach the supervisor of elections by 7 p.m. on election day, under Fla. Stat. 101.67(2). In Ohio it must be delivered to the county board by the close of the polls, under Ohio Rev. Code 3509.05. In North Carolina it must arrive by 7:30 p.m. on election day, under G.S. 163-231(b).
States that count ballots arriving after election day
New York counts a ballot postmarked or dated on or before election day and received by November 10, 2026, under Election Law 8-412. Virginia counts a ballot postmarked on or before election day and received by the stated deadline on the third day after the election, under Va. Code 24.2-709.
More on mail and early voting.
See all the questionsFrequently asked questions
Q. When does a mail ballot have to arrive to count in a U.S. House race?
It depends on state law: Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio and North Carolina require receipt by election day, November 3, 2026, while New York and Virginia count timely postmarked ballots arriving later. In Pennsylvania a mail-in or absentee ballot must be received by the county board by 8 p.m. on election day, under 25 P.S. 3146.8. In Florida a vote-by-mail ballot must reach the supervisor of elections by 7 p.m. on election day, under Fla. Stat. 101.67(2).
Sources
- Fla. Stat. 101.67(2), flsenate.gov, https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/101.67 · 2026-09-26