December 22, 2024
Nine states end their early in-person voting programs on Friday, including four major swing states — Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and North Carolina.

Early in-person voting ends in nine states Friday, including four major battleground states, as the nation sits just four days away from Election Day.

The states ending early voting include the battleground states Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and North Carolina, along with Idaho, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Texas and Utah.

Here is everything you need to know to cast a last-minute ballot during early voting.

Polling place

States are beginning to wrap up early voting with the nation just days away from Election Day. (iStock)

Key down-ballot races in today’s states

  • Arizona’s 1st District: This district covers a northeast chunk of Maricopa and is represented by Republican Rep. David Schweikert, who has served Arizona in Congress since 2011. Biden won the area he represents by 1.5 points in the last presidential election (Dave’s Redistricting), making this an ultra-competitive race. Schweikert is up against Democrat and former state Rep. Amish Shah. It’s a Toss-up on the Power Rankings.
  • Arizona’s 6th District: Tucked away in the southeast corner of the state, the 6th District is represented by freshman GOP Rep. Juan Ciscomani. Biden won this area by an even thinner margin in 2020 — just 0.1 percentage points — making it another closely watched race. Ciscomani is running against Kirsten Engel, another Democratic former state representative. It’s also a Toss-up.
  • Texas’ 28th District: Longtime 28th district Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar is seeking his tenth term this year. He won his last race by 13 points in the midterms; Biden won the area by seven in the last presidential election. In May, the Department of Justice indicted Cuellar on money laundering, conspiracy and bribery charges. The embattled incumbent goes up against Republican former Navy commander Jay Furman. This race is Lean D.
  • Texas’ 34th District: Down in southeast Texas, incumbent Democrat Vicente Gonzalez is seeking a fifth term in Congress. He won by 8.5 points in the midterms. He is facing Republican former Rep. Mayra Flores, who briefly represented the district in 2022. This Gulf Coast district is ranked Lean D.
  • Nevada’s 3rd District: This district almost touches Las Vegas, but it stretches a long way west of that out to Henderson, Boulder City and rural Clark County. Democratic Rep. Susie Lee has served in the district since 2019; this year, she faces Republican Drew Johnson. This race is ranked Lean D.

Arizona is one of the most competitive states this cycle

President Biden scored a crucial victory in Arizona in the last presidential election, flipping the state to the Democrats for the first time since 1996.

Four years later, the state remains highly competitive. In late September, a Fox News Poll put Republican former President Trump at 50% and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris at 47% among likely voters; an AARP survey around the same time had Trump two points ahead of Harris at 49% to 47%.

Maricopa County remains the most important battleground in the state. It is the fourth-highest populated county in the United States, represents more than 60% of Arizona’s registered voters and has a large suburban population, particularly in Mesa.

Arizona is also home to a higher proportion of Hispanic voters than the rest of the country, and while they favored Biden by 19 points in the last election, they have shown signs of shifting toward Trump.

Republicans are strongest in sparsely populated rural areas, particularly Mohave County (Trump plus-51) and Graham County (Trump plus-45), but they run up the margin most in the outer suburbs and exurban areas in Maricopa, Pinal and Pima counties.

trump rally

Former President Trump during a campaign event in Greensboro, N.C., Oct. 22, 2024. (Cornell Watson)

Arizona is a Toss-Up on the Fox News Power Rankings.

The Grand Canyon State will also vote for a new senator after independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema decided not to run for re-election this year. The Republican candidate is Kari Lake, a former TV news host who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2022. The Democrats have fielded Rep. Ruben Gallego, a former Marine who represents Arizona’s 3rd Congressional District.

The Senate race is ranked Lean D.

‘ADMIRES DICTATORS’: HARRIS CONTINUES COMPARING TRUMP TO HITLER DURING BATTLEGROUND STATE TOWN HALL

How to vote in Arizona

Voters who have received their mail-in ballots have until Nov. 5 to deliver them to state officials. Friday is the final day for early in-person voting.

Fox News Power Rankings

Fox News Power Rankings presidential map. (Fox News )

Georgia is one of the most competitive states this cycle

Georgia has voted Republican in all but two elections in the last four decades. The first was former President Clinton’s landslide win in 1992, and the second was 2020, when Biden brought the state back to the Democrats by 11,779 votes.

A win for either candidate here would make their path to victory easier. The Peach State has 16 electoral votes to offer, and with recent polls showing a tight race, it’s ranked a Toss-Up on the Fox News Power Rankings.

How to vote in Georgia

Voters who have received their mail-in ballots have until Nov. 5 to deliver them to state officials. Friday is the final day for early in-person voting.

How to vote in Idaho

Voters who have received their mail-in ballots have until Nov. 5 to deliver them to state officials. Friday is the final day for early in-person voting.

Kamala Harris speaks in New Hampshire

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally at Throwback Brewery in North Hampton, N.H. (Kylie Cooper for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

How to vote in Louisiana

Voters who have received their mail-in ballots have until Nov. 5 to deliver them to state officials. Friday is the final day for early in-person voting.

How to vote in Massachusetts

Voters who have received their mail-in ballots have until Nov. 5 to deliver them to state officials. Friday is the final day for early in-person voting.

How to vote in Nevada

Voters who have received their mail-in ballots have until Nov. 5 to deliver them to state officials. Friday is the final day for early in-person voting.

Nevada

Here’s what to expect about how votes will be counted in Nevada on Election Day. (Fox News)

North Carolina is a top swing state this cycle

North Carolina last voted for a Democratic president in 2008, when Sen. Barack Obama won the state by 0.3 points, or 14,177 votes.

Trump pulled out a convincing 3.7-point win in 2016, but that margin shrank to 1.3 points against Biden in 2020.

‘PULLING AN ALVIN BRAGG’: LEFT-WING DA’S ‘FLIMSY’ SUIT AGAINST ELON MUSK’S $1M GIVEAWAY SLAMMED BY EXPERT

Late last month, the Fox News Poll had the two 2024 presidential candidates just a point apart, with Democratic nominee Vice President Harris at 49% and former President Trump at 50%. North Carolina is ranked a Toss-Up on the Fox News Power Rankings.

The state has become more competitive as its population has grown. Over the last full decade, North Carolina added roughly 1.1 million people, the fourth-largest gain among all states.

Much of that growth has been in urban and suburban areas like those in solidly blue Mecklenburg and Wake counties.

The pandemic brought more wealthy, urban Americans from surrounding states, and there are pockets of college voters as well.

Rural areas have experienced some population decline, but they remain a powerful part of the state’s overall vote, and they vote overwhelmingly Republican.

How to vote in North Carolina

Voters who have received their mail-in ballots have until Nov. 5 to deliver them to state officials. Friday is the final day for early in-person voting.

TRUMP, HARRIS MAKE FINAL PITCHES TO VOTERS IN HIGH-STAKES BATTLEGROUND STATE IN FINAL DAYS OF CYCLE

How to vote in Texas

Voters who have received their mail-in ballots have until Nov. 5 to deliver them to state officials. Friday is the final day for early in-person voting.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

How to vote in Utah

Voters who have received their mail-in ballots have until Nov. 5 to deliver them to state officials. Friday is the final day for early in-person voting.