How the much-litigated ballot deadlines impacted the US election

A state-by-state look at the turnout data reflects a messy national picture with chaotic regulations and poor record-keeping

This article is made possible through Votebeat, a nonpartisan reporting project covering local election integrity and voting access.

Americans shattered records for voting by mail in many states in the 2020 presidential election, a phenomenon that tested existing election laws, new pandemic-related regulations, postal service capacity, voter education efforts and voters' own resolve.