Voting during US Presidential election 2020 : What you need to know about vote by mail, online ballots, polling places This Nov. 3, with the states still reeling from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, record numbers of Americans are expected to vote by mail to avoid the lines at their local polling places. For those who will decide to cast their ballot in person, however, states will allow that too, but voters should expect confusion about the location of polling places, long lines and social distancing