Mail-in, Absentee Voting

This is the opposite of the “undecided” question:

What are the percentages for absentee and mail-in votes cast across the country? How many are cast by Election Day? In the past, I’ve lived in locales where absentee and mail votes weren’t counted UNLESS they could make a difference in a race. Is this still a practice or has the number of vote-by-mail ballots changed the law?

I don’t know the answers to most of your questions, but as for the one about how many are cast by election day… Well, I guess all the ones that are going to be counted are. Assuming you’ve applied for one with plenty of time – I applied in July – absentee ballots are sent out about 5 weeks in advance of the general election, with specific instructions that they should be posted back ASAP. However, confusingly, I think the instructions also state that the ballots must be postmarked no later than the date of the election day. If I posted mine so that it would be stamped with the election date on it, it would probably arrive in the States between one and two weeks after the election. I don’t see how it could be counted then. Anyway, I posted my absentee ballot back 4 weeks ago and I sure hope it’s counted!