In Pandemic, Voting by Mail Catches On

In past municipal elections, few Virginia voters took advantage of the option to mail in absentee ballots. But this May, voters are mailing ballots by the bushel. The massive increase in voting by mail in next Tuesday's elections could be a harbinger of what's to come in November.

Number of Mail-in Ballots - All Virginia Localities

Source: Virginia Department of Elections. The numbers above show the total number of absentee ballots cast by mail in municipal elections in more than 100 cities and towns across Virginia in 2016 and 2020. This year's number is preliminary and reflect the number of absentee mail ballots as of 9:15AM Wednesday, May 20.