Voting by mail remains an option for the upcoming November elections, but recent efforts by the Trump administration to tighten mail-in requirements have left questions among some voters, particularly U.S. military and overseas citizens who rely on the method.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday blocked a new U.S. Postal Service rule that would have included screening the delivery of mail-in ballots in this year’s midterm elections, allowing existing processes for mail voting to continue. Now, voter groups and election officials are working to get the word out that it’s business as usual.

“Voters of all types, not just military voters, have been asking if mail-voting is still possible at all, or if Trump has ‘canceled it,’″ said Susan Dzieduszycka-Suinat, president and CEO of U.S. Vote Foundation. The nonprofit provides online tools for domestic and overseas citizens including active-duty service members who vote from outside of the U.S.

“Some worry that USPS will delay their ballots (both receiving and returning) to the extent that voting by mail from overseas is untenable, and ask about other ways to return their ballots in states that won’t permit electronic return,” she wrote in an email response to questions.

Any registered Virginia voter may request an absentee ballot without providing a reason.

Virginia Beach General Registrar Christine Lewis said her office has been fielding more questions than usual about mail ballots.

“We are receiving a higher number of calls and visits to the office regarding citizens verifying their registration status and/or their absentee ballot status,” she wrote in an email.

Election Day is Nov. 3, and early voting began Friday.

Virginia general registrars received guidance on absentee voting Thursday from the Virginia Department of Elections. They were instructed to emphasize there are no changes for absentee-by-mail voting.

Lewis anticipates more voters who request an absentee ballot and have the ability to return it in person will consider doing so this year rather than relying on the post office.

“Some are saying they will bring their ballot in person after voting it to avoid placing it in the mail,” Lewis said.

Thirty-two states, Washington and the Virgin Islands allow certain voters — typically military or overseas voters, or voters with disabilities — to return voted absentee/mail ballots electronically, via fax, email or through an online portal, according to the National Conference of State Legislators.

In the 2024 presidential election, 4.5 million people voted in Virginia. Of those, more than 500,000 people voted by mail, and 1.8 million people voted early in person, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.

Trump issued an executive order March 31 for the new mail ballot rule. He faced opposition from voter service groups and civic organizations who argue the president does not have constitutional authority to regulate elections. The U.S. Postal Service is an independent agency of the executive branch.

Those groups filed an injunction to stop the order. Lower courts initially put the order on hold and the Supreme Court ultimately agreed on Monday to block the order through the November election.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote in a concurrence there was “at least a fair prospect” that new mail ballot rules could be issued by the Postal Service, but that state and local election officials do not have sufficient time to implement the rule before the elections.

The new rules would have required states to provide lists of voters approved to receive mail ballots. The Postal Service would then have delivered those ballots only to the voters on the lists.

Military families overseas were among the first to raise the alarm.

“Folks were feeling nervous that mail-in voting might have been blocked entirely or delayed or otherwise hindered by the executive order that the president made back in March,” said Sarah Streyder, executive director of Secure Families Initiatives, a nonpartisan group that mobilizes military member families to vote and advocates for their communities. The group is a plaintiff in the Supreme Court case.

“We have reliably voted by mail since the Civil War. It’s crucial for our voters.”

Questions about mail ballots have been coming into the help desk at U.S. Vote Foundation, according to Dzieduszycka-Suinat. Her team has been helping voters understand that nothing has changed and they should go forward with their requests for absentee ballots. The foundation also is a plaintiff in the Supreme Court case.

“We are working on all fronts, sending voter alerts, and helping millions of voters, but in addition, we are fighting to maintain the right to vote by mail, without interference,” she said.

Absentee voting in Virginia increased during the pandemic when rules began to loosen in 2020. However, Lewis said it was the implementation of the permanent absentee ballot option in 2021 that resulted in a significant and sustained increase in by-mail voting.

Virginia voters have the option to vote absentee in the next election or to automatically receive an absentee ballot for all future elections. Voters who choose to receive an absentee ballot for all future elections must sign up for the permanent absentee list by applying online or by paper application through the Virginia Department of Elections.

Virginia Beach had 3,922 absentee ballots requested for the 2019 general election. For the 2020 presidential election, that number increased dramatically, to 63,638. In 2021, Virginia Beach received 22,311 absentee ballot requests.

Today, the city has 26,426 voters on the permanent absentee list. On Thursday, 26,834 absentee ballots were scheduled to go out in Virginia Beach’s first mailing, Lewis said.

How to apply for an absentee ballot

To vote without going to an official polling station, voters can apply to vote absentee by mail on the Virginia Department of Elections website. Absent military or overseas citizens are eligible to vote in federal, state and local elections. Registered voters do not need a reason to request an absentee ballot. The deadline to request a mailed absentee ballot is Oct. 23.

When are absentee ballots mailed?

Requested absentee ballots were mailed no later than Friday, including ballots to registered military and overseas voters.

How do I return my ballot?

Absentee ballots may be returned in person to the general registrar’s office, at designated drop-off locations during the early voting period and at polling locations on Election Day. If returned by mail, ballots must be postmarked no later than Nov. 3 and received by noon on Nov. 6. Voters should take their ballots inside their local post office and receive a hand stamp to ensure their ballot receives a postmark on the date of mailing.

Can I still vote in person?

A voter who has received but not returned an absentee ballot by mail can vote in person instead during early voting or on Election Day. They must bring the mail absentee ballot to their early voting location or polling place. An elections officer will void the absentee ballot, and the voter will be provided a ballot to cast in person.

Who’s on the ballot?

Races for U.S. Senate, House of Representatives seats, local offices and three proposed amendments to the Constitution of Virginia are on the ballot. A full list of candidates and explanations for the proposed amendments can be found on the Virginia Department of Elections website.

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