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35 U. Fla. J.L. & Pub. Pol'y 1 (2024-2025)

handle is hein.journals/ufpp35 and id is 1 raw text is: ONE'S HEALTH VERSUS ONE'S RIGHT TO VOTE: HOW THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC CHANGED THE LEGAL LANDSCAPE OF ABSENTEE/MAIL-IN VOTING IN THE UNITED STATES FROM THE 2020-2024 ELECTION CYCLES Dr. Tracey B. Carter* Abstract How voting took place during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, especially the increased use of absentee/mail-in ballots, has been a point of discussion and debate throughout the United States since the 2020 election cycle. This Article takes an in-depth look into absentee/mail-in voting throughout the United States in early 2020 (pre-pandemic), during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and from 2022-2024 (post-pandemic), including a discussion of litigation filed in various states related to the use of absentee/mail-in ballots from the 2020-2024 election cycles. This Article recommends that more states should expand their access to voting by passing no-excuse absentee/mail-in voting laws because such measures that were put in place during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 allowed more citizens the opportunity to participate in the electoral process without risking their health by going to the polls to vote in person, many voters support it, and a majority of other states already utilize no-excuse absentee/mail-in voting as of 2024. INTRODUCTION .........................................................................................3 I. GENERAL OVERVIEW OF THE TERMS ABSENTEE BALLOTS AND MAIL-IN BALLOTS ............................................................6 A. Definitions of Absentee Ballots ......................................6 B. Definitions of Mail-In Ballots ........................................8 C. Comparing and Contrasting of the Terms Absentee Ballots and Mail-In Ballots ........................8 II. THE USE OF ABSENTEE/MAIL-IN BALLOTS TO VOTE IN THE UNITED STATES .............................................................10 A. Summary of State Laws Regarding the Use ofAbsentee M ail-In Ballots..............................................10 * Professor of Law, Belmont University College of Law; B.A., Virginia Intermont College; J.D., University of Tennessee College of Law; M.P.A. and Ed.D., Tennessee State University. The author thanks the entire editorial board and staff of the University ofFlorida Journal ofLaw & Public Policy for their assistance. She also expresses gratitude to Morgan Cage and Azariah Dileo for their research assistance and to her family and friends for their support during the writing of this Article.

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