As COVID-19 continues to spread throughout the U.S., the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended Americans consider “voting alternatives” this fall to limit potential exposure to the virus. One alternative option is voting by mail, a practice that has been in place since the U.S. Civil War and carries a long history of success. Before the pandemic, five states—Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington and Utah—already held all-mail elections, meaning every active registered voter automatically received a ballot in the mail that would allow them to bypass a physical polling place.