Ok fanboy here is the difference.
An absentee ballot is sent in the mail, whereas a mail-in vote is mailed in. Sending ballots in the mail is famously secure, but mailing in votes is ripe for all kinds of fraud and confusion.
An absentee ballot is filled out in pen or pencil, whereas a mail-in vote is filled in with ink or graphite.
An absentee ballot is placed in an envelope, whereas a mail-in vote is enclosed in an envelope. The difference in security should be obvious.
An absentee ballot must be signed, whereas a mail-in vote requires a signature. An envelope containing an absentee ballot must be closed securely, while an envelope containing a mail-in vote must be sealed.
On an absentee ballot, a voter marks their preferred candidates, but on a mail-in vote, a voter fills in the ballot to indicate the candidates of their choice.
An absentee ballot is cast by a Republican, whereas a mail-in vote is sent by a Democrat.
