According to the Associated Press, many states, including key swing states, have seen massive drops in the number of requests for mail-in ballots. In Georgia, where nearly one million ballots were cast by mail in the primary elections in 2020, only about 85,000 voters have requested mail-in ballots for this year's primary. Other states that saw similar declines include Ohio, West Virginia, and Indiana.

In 2020, a record high of approximately 43 percent of American voters cast their ballots by mail; in 2016, by contrast, only about 24.5 percent sent in mail-in ballots. A key component of this trend was the COVID-19 pandemic, where lockdown measures that shut down businesses, schools, and everyday life led to increased calls for making voting easier and more convenient. At least 12 states significantly expanded vote-by-mail operations.