Absentee voting refers to the process of casting a ballot in an election by someone who is unable to be present at their assigned polling place. There are several synonyms for absentee voting, and some of the most commonly used ones include postal voting, mail-in voting, and vote-by-mail. These terms essentially refer to the same thing and are used interchangeably across various jurisdictions. However, there are some subtle differences between them, depending on the specific rules and regulations that apply. For instance, some states require voters to provide a reason for voting absentee, while others allow any voter to do so without providing a specific justification.