Election Day is still about two months away, but many voters have options to cast their ballots before Nov. 5. Some have already started receiving mail-in ballots.
Early voting became widespread in the 2020 election, when over 100 million voters cast their ballots by mail or in person before Election Day. With the coronavirus pandemic in full swing that fall, early voting let people avoid crowding into polling stations — and many states have kept those voting options in place.
Here’s a rundown of key dates, deadlines and ways to vote early.
What is early voting, and how does it work?
Early voting lets people cast their ballots in advance of Election Day. Most states offer in-person and mail voting, though options vary by state.
With mail-in voting, people can request a ballot be sent to them or, in some cases, automatically receive one. Eight states, including California and Nevada, send mail-in ballots to all registered voters, and so does the District of Columbia.
Historically, voters who were unable to make it to the polls on Election Day had to request an absentee ballot. But mail-in and absentee ballots now function effectively the same in many states, and the terminology used varies. But in 14 states — including Texas, South Carolina and Indiana — voters must still provide a valid excuse to cast an absentee ballot.
There’s also in-person early voting. In some states, this can take the form of in-person absentee voting — voters can visit their polling places, fill out a mail-in ballot and submit it, all in the same visit. In others, the process mirrors Election Day procedures, with votes cast on polling machines.
Which states offer early voting?
All states offer mail voting in some form, and all but three states offer in-person early voting; the District of Columbia as well as Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands offer in-person early voting, too. The three that do not offer it are Alabama, Mississippi and New Hampshire, but they provide options for absentee voters in certain cases.
Here’s a timeline for September:
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Sept. 11 — Alabama became the first state to begin early voting, sending absentee ballots to eligible voters who provided a justification to receive one. North Carolina would have been the first to send out mail ballots, but was delayed by legal wrangling over the removal of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s name after he dropped out of the race.
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Sept. 16 — Pennsylvania starts in-person early voting and begins sending mail-in ballots to eligible voters who requested them.
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Sept. 19 — Wisconsin starts mailing ballots to voters who requested them.
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Sept. 20 — Minnesota and South Dakota start mail and in-person early voting; Virginia begins in-person early voting.
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Sept. 21 — The federal deadline for all absentee ballots to be mailed to military and overseas voters. Eleven states will send out their mail-in ballots by this day, and North Carolina is expected to as well.
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Sept. 23 — Mississippi will send absentee ballots to voters who applied for them.
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Sept. 26 — Mail-in voting begins in Michigan (voters have to request mail ballots).
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Sept. 30 — Nebraska will send mail ballots to eligible voters who requested them.
The rest of the swing states start in-person early voting in October:
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Oct. 7 — Georgia begins sending mail ballots to eligible voters.
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Oct. 9 — Arizona starts both in-person and mail-in voting. To receive a ballot by mail, voters must request to be placed on the state’s Active Early Voter List.
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Oct. 15 — In-person early voting begins in Georgia.
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Oct. 16 — Nevada sends mail-in ballots to all registered voters.
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Oct. 17 — North Carolina starts in-person early voting.
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Oct. 19 — Nevada starts in-person early voting.
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Oct. 21 — The in-person early voting period begins in Texas.
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Oct. 22 — Wisconsin starts in-person early voting.
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Oct. 26 — Michigan opens in-person early voting, the last battleground state to do so.
Where can I find more information about early voting?
States take different approaches to early voting. To read about the options available to you, go to your state or local election office’s website; you can search for that here.
When do I need to register? Where can I check my voter registration?
Most states allow registration until October, and some offer same-day registration at polling places. Check the status of your voter registration on vote.org. To find out when you need to register by, go to vote.gov and select your state or territory.
How can I update my voter registration?
There’s a portal on vote.gov that will show you how to do that. Enter your state or territory to get started.
Where can I check my state’s voting deadline?
Most states require mail-in ballots to be postmarked or dropped off in person on or before Election Day. Check your state’s policy on vote.org by selecting your state or territory. You can also find this information on the website of your state’s election or secretary of state’s office.
The post Early Voting Is Beginning in These States. Here’s What to Know. appeared first on New York Times.
