US elections 2024: Is proxy voting allowed? All you need to know

In less than 10 days, the United States of America will elect its next president. The vital race has the Democratic presidential candidate, US Vice President Kamala Harris, pitched against Republican nominee, former president Donald Trump.

Already, early voting has begun, and the final vote is scheduled for Nov 5. 

The United States allows voters multiple ways to vote. But, is proxy voting one of them? Let's find out.

What is proxy voting?

Proxy voting is a process which allows an individual to authorise someone else to cast the vote in an election on their behalf. 

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Does the USA allow proxy voting?

While many countries like the United Kingdom, France, and even India allow proxy voting under set strict conditions, the USA does not allow it at any level — federal, state, or local.

However, historically, proxy voting was allowed in some of the US states.

Voting options in US elections

While proxy voting is not available to voters in the USA, voters in the country have multiple ways to cast their vote. 

According to the USA government website, these are the ways by which one can vote before election day (Nov 5, 2024):

Absentee voting 

Most US states allow absentee voting for voters before Election Day. This option is available for voters with a disability, or who qualify for it as per certain conditions — depending on the state. Typically, voters need to request an absentee ballot in advance, and some states even allow voters to join the absentee voter list permanently.

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Mail-in voting

Similar to absentee voting, mail-in voting differs in one aspect: voters may cast their ballots by mail with no need for a specific reason.

Some of the US states offer voters this option by default, sending all registered voters mail ballots. In 2020, many states expanded mail-in voting options because of the pandemic, though specific rules vary by state.

Early in-person voting

Most US states offer early in-person voting, in some cases weeks before the elections.

As per the US government website, as of August 2024, 47 US states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands offer early in-person voting to all voters.

Only three states—Alabama, Mississippi and New Hampshire—do not offer early in-person voting. However, they may provide options for eligible absentee voters.