absentee ballot

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An absentee ballot is a paper ballot submitted, before an election day and often by mail, by a voter who is unable to attend the official polling station on election day. It is also referred to as an absentee vote. Generally, such a vote is allowed if the voter is unavoidably absent from their polling place on election day due to travel, illness or disability, duties related to the primary care of one or more individuals who are ill or physically disabled, or if the voter is permanently disabled. 

See e.g., Forman v. Haight 69 132 N.Y.S.3d, 531 (2020).

[Last updated in June of 2022 by the Wex Definitions Team]