mailin

Mailin is a term that can refer to different concepts depending on context. Most commonly, it describes processes that involve submitting something by mail, with the most widely known usage in voting: mail-in voting allows eligible voters to cast ballots without appearing in person.

In the political and administrative sense, mail-in voting typically enables ballot requests, delivery by mail, and return by mail or other approved methods. Practices vary by jurisdiction, including eligibility criteria, deadlines, and verification steps such as ballot authentication. Proponents cite increased accessibility and turnout, while critics discuss concerns about security, integrity, and the potential for delays in processing or counting.

In computing and software, mailin is also the name used by several projects that handle inbound email. These tools provide an SMTP endpoint, receive messages, parse their headers and content, extract attachments, and convert the email into a structured format for downstream processing. They are commonly used to automate workflows such as ticketing, customer relationship management, help-desking, and notification systems by delivering email data to applications via webhooks or message queues. The exact features and integration options depend on the specific project or library.

Because "mailin" can refer to both a voting method and various software initiatives, the intended meaning is determined by context. When discussing policy, elections, or civic participation, it usually means mail-in voting. When talking about software development or automation, it typically refers to inbound email processing tools.