The first ballots of the 2024 election were cast in September as early voting began. From North Carolina to Pennsylvania, voters are beginning the process of selecting the candidates of their choice, including former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, to occupy seats of power.
Five states across the country begin in-person early voting this month and multiple battleground states will do the same in October.
Here’s everything you need to know about early voting and important election dates over the next few months.
Early voting in America
North Carolina was supposed to lead the country in beginning its early voting by absentee ballots. The state was slotted to begin mailing out 2024 ballots on Sept. 6, but the process was delayed after Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign fought to take his name off the ballot. The state has now begun reprinting ballots ballots without Kennedy’s name on them. North Carolina won’t commence in-person voting until Oct. 17.
During the 2020 presidential election, 3,629,461 North Carolinians voted early while over a million cast a mail-in absentee ballot, according to the state’s election data. Trump carried the state four years ago by just over 1 percentage point.
Some Pennsylvania counties may be sending out mail-in ballots as soon as Sept. 30 while others could go out as late as Oct. 8, according to WTAE. All counties must begin mailing ballots by Oct. 22. Trump flipped the Keystone State red in 2016 before losing it to President Joe Biden four years later.
Four other states will launch early voting this month. Voters in Minnesota (Sept. 20), Virginia (Sept. 20), Vermont (Sept. 21), and Illinois (Sept. 26) may cast a ballot for the candidate of their choice weeks ahead of Election Day.
Voting activity will pick up across the country in October. Georgia will begin mailing out absentee ballots to voters on Oct. 7.
The majority of battleground states will start in-person early voting in October.
Voters in North Carolina (Oct. 17), Wisconsin (Oct. 22), and Michigan (Oct. 26) may cast their ballots ahead of November. Nevada will send out absentee ballots on Oct. 16 and begin in-person early voting three days later. Arizona commences both in-person and mail-in voting on Oct. 9. Voters must request to be placed on the state’s Active Early Voter List in order to receive a mail-in ballot.
Texas (Oct. 21) and Maryland (Oct. 24) will also begin in-person early voting next month.
Early voting has made significant strides in popularity since the 2016 presidential election. As the country came out of the coronavirus pandemic during the 2020 election cycle, nearly 70% of the electorate cast their votes through either mail-in ballots or early in-person voting.
Only about 40% of people voted early in the 2016 election.
Election dates to remember
Harris and Trump faced off for their first presidential debate on ABC News on Sept. 10. A vice presidential debate between Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) and Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) has been scheduled for Oct. 1 on CBS.
Sept. 18 is the date Trump is set to be sentenced for his New York hush money case. The former president, who was found guilty in May on 34 felony counts and maintains his innocence, has asked for his sentencing to take place after the 2024 election.
Voter registration deadlines to register
Most states allow registration until October. Some states, such as California and Marland, offer same-day registration at polling places. North Dakota residents don’t have to worry about deadlines because it is the only state in the country that does not register voters. Voters need only to bring a qualifying form of ID to the polls in order to cast a ballot.
You can check the status of your voter registration on vote.org.
Here are the voter registration deadlines for all 50 states, according to Newsweek’s compilation of data from the U.S. Vote Foundation:
Alabama
Received by Monday, Oct. 21
Alaska
Submitted or postmarked by Sunday, Oct. 6
Arizona
Received by Monday, Oct. 7
Arkansas
Monday, Oct. 7
California
Received by Monday, Oct. 21
Same-day registration and voting from Oct. 22 through Nov. 5
Colorado
Registration drive by Tuesday, Oct. 15
Mail by Monday, Oct. 28
Online by Monday, Oct. 28
Election Day registration and voting Tuesday, Nov. 5
In-person received by Tuesday, Nov. 5
Connecticut
Received or Postmarked by Friday, Oct. 18
Election Day registration and voting: Tuesday, Nov. 5 by 8 p.m.
Same-day registration and voting: from Monday, Oct. 21 to Sunday, Nov. 3
Delaware
Received by Saturday, Oct. 12
District of Columbia
Received by Tuesday, Oct. 15
Same-day registration and voting: from Monday, Oct. 28 to Sunday, Nov. 3
Election Day registration and voting: Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Florida
Monday, Oct. 7
Georgia
Monday, Oct. 7
Hawaii
Postmarked by Monday, Oct. 28
Online by Monday, Oct. 26 at 4:30 p.m.
Same-day registration and voting: Tuesday, Oct. 22 to Election Day, Nov. 5
Idaho
Register to vote in advance: Oct. 11
Election Day registration and voting: Nov. 5
Illinois
In-person request by Tuesday, Oct. 8
Online by Sunday, Oct. 20
Indiana
Register to vote by Oct. 7
Iowa
Submitted by Monday, Oct. 21 at 5 p.m.
Same-day registration and voting: Tuesday, Oct. 22 to Election Day
Kansas
In-person or postmarked by Tuesday, Oct. 15
Discharged from federal service in-person request by Monday, Nov. 4 at 12 p.m.
Kentucky
Postmarked or submitted by Monday, Oct. 7.
Louisiana
Postmarked or submitted by Monday, Oct. 7
Online by Tuesday, Oct. 15
Maine
Postmarked, received, or online by Tuesday, Oct. 15
At DMV and other state agencies by Tuesday, Oct. 29 at 11:59 p.m.
In-person on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5 at 8 p.m.
Maryland
Postmarked or submitted by Tuesday, Oct. 15
Election Day registration and voting on Tuesday, Nov. 5
Massachusetts
Submitted or in-person request by Saturday, Oct. 26
Michigan
Emailed or received by Monday, Oct. 21
In-person request by Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5
Minnesota
Submitted by Tuesday, Oct. 15
Election Day registration and voting on Tuesday, Nov. 5
Mississippi
In-person, postmarked, or received by Monday, Oct. 7
Missouri
Wednesday, Oct. 9 at 5 p.m.
Montana
Postmarked or submitted by Monday, Oct. 7
Late registration must be received and verified by Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 5 at 8 p.m.
Nebraska
Postmarked or submitted by Friday, Oct. 18
In-person, received by Fri, Oct. 25
Nevada
In-person request by Tuesday, Oct. 8
Postmarked by Tuesday, Oct. 8
Online by Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5
Same-day registration and voting: Tuesday, Oct. 22 through Tuesday, Nov. 5
New Hampshire
Submitted by Wednesday, Oct. 23
Election Day registration and voting by Tuesday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m.
New Jersey
Received by Tuesday, Oct. 15
New Mexico
Received by: Tuesday, Oct. 8
Same-day registration and voting: Tuesday, Oct. 8 through Tuesday, Nov. 5
New York
In-person by Saturday, Oct. 26
Received by mail by Saturday, Oct. 26
North Carolina
Submitted by: Friday, Oct. 11
Election Day registration and voting: from Friday, Oct. 11 to Saturday, Nov. 2
North Dakota
Not required
Ohio
Postmarked and received by Monday, Oct. 7
Oklahoma
Received by Friday, Oct. 11
Oregon
Tuesday, Oct. 15
Pennsylvania
Received by Monday, Oct. 21
Rhode Island
Received by Sunday, Oct. 6
South Carolina
Request for email, online, or fax ballot by Sunday, Oct. 6
Postmarked by Monday, Oct. 7
South Dakota
Received by Monday, Oct. 21 at 5 p.m.
Tennessee
Postmarked and submitted by Monday, Oct. 7
Texas
Received by Monday, Oct. 7
Utah
Received by Friday, Oct. 25 at 5 p.m.
Election Day registration and voting: Tuesday, Nov. 5
Vermont
Submitted by Monday, Nov. 4, at 5 p.m.
Election Day registration and voting on Tuesday, Nov. 5 by 7 p.m.
Virginia
Submitted by Tuesday, Oct. 15
Same-day registration and voting: from Wednesday, Oct. 16 to Saturday, Nov. 2
Washington
Mail, email or online received by Monday, Oct. 28
In-person, received by Tuesday, Nov. 5 by 8 p.m.
West Virginia
Submitted by Tuesday, Oct. 15
Wisconsin
Postmarked or online by Wednesday, Oct. 16
In-person request by Friday, Nov. 1 at 5 p.m.
Election Day registration and voting by Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5
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Wyoming
Submitted by Monday, Oct. 21
Election Day registration and voting: Tuesday, Nov. 5 by 7 p.m.
