Voters in over a dozen states are poised to start early voting before millions of other Americans.
Election Day is less than 50 days away, but early voting started Friday in three states.
Virginia, Minnesota, and South Dakota kick off early voting on Sept. 20. In Virginia, voters can start lining up at the polls. In Minnesota and South Dakota, voters can start dropping off their absentee ballots in person instead of mailing them.
States from California to Nebraska to Vermont – and several in between – begin voting in September and October, before much of the rest of the country.
The landscape of the presidential election changed dramatically over the summer, with President Joe Biden’s decision not to seek reelection coming shortly after a disastrous debate between him and former President Donald Trump in June that elevated questions about the president’s age and energy levels.
Vice President Kamala Harris launched her campaign for president in July to a whirlwind of excitement among Democrats, and she accepted the party’s nomination in August at the Democratic National Convention just over a month after her campaign for president began.
Voters have seen Trump and Harris go up against each other just once at a debate in September – and that might be the only opportunity they get, as Trump recently said he will not debate Harris again.
What Is Early Voting and How Does It Work?
Early voting is a process that allows citizens to cast their ballots in person ahead of Election Day. Absentee voting also allows voting before Election Day by mail or drop-off.
While both in-person early voting and absentee voting allow voters to cast their ballot before Election Day, the in-person early voting process more resembles what a person would do at a polling place on Election Day.
Some states require an excuse to qualify for an absentee ballot. More than two dozen states offer “no-excuse” absentee voting, which means that any voter can request and cast an absentee ballot without providing a reason for why it’s necessary, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Supporters of early voting say it offers citizens a more convenient way to vote, while critics say early voters might not have enough information to make an educated decision.
Early voting has come under fire from Trump, who has previously pushed for all voting to happen on a single day. But the Republican National Committee has embraced early voting in 2024, leading to some inconsistencies in the party’s messaging.
“They have early voting, late voting, everything is so ridiculous,” Trump said in July. “We should have one-day voting, paper ballots, voter ID and certification of citizenship. And that’s what we’re striving for.”
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