Is mail voting safe?

Before mail ballots are counted, they are verified for eligibility.

Voters return their ballot in an official envelope with their signature and other individually indentifying information (such as an identification number). Election officials validate the signature and information with their files.

The posmark on the envelope is checked to ensure it was mailed by election day.

Once the ballot is validated, it is separated from the envelope to maintain anonymity. Then it is counted. State election officials perform other checks such as tracking each ballot to prevent double voting and comparing the number of ballots received to the number of voters who applied for a ballot.

Voters know the status of their ballot

In most states, voters receive status updates. Before they vote they receive a notification telling them when their ballot has been mailed to them. Aftewward, they are notified that the election office has received the ballot, that it's been approved, and that it's been counted.

Most states also will notify voters whose ballots had issues and were not counted. The voter then has a short timeframe to cure their ballot in order for it to be counted.

For more, read the Bipartisan Policy Center analysis.