I signed up to vote by mail (not absentee) in my state (florida) years ago and i just check a box saying I'd like to keep voting by mail every time i send my ballot in. It may be set up the same as absentee balloting. AO if every state has the absentee voting process in place - why wouldn't they just expand it and then we have the tracking you mention. The bigger point i'm trying to make is if we have corrupt election officials it doesn't matter if you vote in person, by mail or through some online portal - it can always get hijacked somewhere along the line and manipulated. Because you go to a voting booth doesn't mean that vote is going to count in the end - no guarantee. We had those infamous "hanging chads" a few years back in Florida and that's when I went to mail in voting. Many of the in person votes didn't count because of hanging chads and were thrown out. I think the democrats had a fit and said the republicans were rigging it then - i can't remember. I think people are getting a little up in arms about nothing - if it's going to get stolen, they'll find a way to steal with in person voting.