Millions of Americans are expected to vote by mail in November's U.S. presidential election because of COVID-19. 

The rules guiding voting by mail and who qualifies can differ by state.  

According to the Pew Research Center, how Americans will vote depends on their concerns over COVID-19 and their political leaning.  

And after hearing repeated attacks on the U.S. Postal Service by the Trump administration, there are also signs some people have lost trust in USPS.


Asked about whether he'd accept the election results during Tuesday night's first presidential debate,  President Donald Trump predicted,  without evidence, "this is going to be a fraud like you've never seen."  

Experts have repeatedly debunked Trump's false statements about the security of voting by mail.

TIME Magazine quotes Mark Gabor, director of trial litigation at the bipartisan Campaign Legal Center, saying "The President's answer about fraudulent ballots was nonsense."


According to the New York Times, more than 71.5 million absentee ballots have already been requested or sent to voters in 39 states and Washington, DC.  

Requests for absentee ballots have already surpassed the total number of requests made in 2016, for at least 15 states.  

NPR reports, earlier in the summer, polls showed about half of all voters said they expected to vote by mail but by fall, a shift had taken place, with those saying they would vote by mail dipping to about 35%.


This change is worrying some voting officials. Many jurisdictions have had to consolidate voting locations because of the pandemic.

With an expected record voter turnout and fewer polling places open, voters could face long lines and other problems on Election Day. 

The Washington Post reports, Democratic voters requesting and returning mail-in ballots already far outnumber Republicans in key battleground states.

Overall, a Pew Research study found how people choose to vote and their confidence in the election, differed between Republicans and Democrats.


The survey found 60% of Trump supporters said they prefer to vote in person on Election Day and 17% said they prefer voting by mail.

Conversely, 23% of the supporters backing Democrat Joe Biden said they prefer voting in person on Election Day and 58% said they prefer voting by mail. 

However, as NPR points out, how people choose to vote can change between now and Election Day. 

Voters who request an absentee ballot to vote by mail can still change their mind and vote in person either on or before Election Day.

Although voters are encouraged to vote early and/or complete their absentee ballots as soon as possible, releasing results early is a felony in some states.

When election officials can start processing and counting mail ballots depends on the laws of each state. Some states can start when the ballot is received, or a few days before the election. In other states, the count cannot start until Election Day.


But as officials brace for an influx of mail ballots compared to previous elections, they are also warning Americans that final election result s may not be clear on election night. 

Processing and counting mail ballots take longer,  and in a close race, it could take days or even weeks to determine a winner.
 

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