What to know as the first voting in the presidential election gets underway early next month

The 2024 political season has been one of the most tumultuous in history, but in just a month, the first voters will already be able to start casting ballots in the presidential election.

While each state has its own rules on absentee voting and in-person early voting ahead of Election Day on November 5, some voters can begin submitting their ballots as many as 50 days out. 

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are neck-and-neck in the race for the finish line. The average of the latest polls have them in a virtual tie with less than three months to go. 

The majority of states offer multiple ways for people to vote in the upcoming election. The most common option is voting on Election Day, but there are also vote-by-mail, early in-person voting and absentee voting options depending on the state.

Forty-seven states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands offer early in-person voting to all voters at some point ahead of Election Day, according to tracking by the National Conference of State Legislatures. 

That includes eight states and the District of Columbia which conduct their entire elections primarily by mail with some in-person options for voters who prefer it. 

Democrats have not even held their convention yet, and Harris and Trump are not set to come face-to-face on a debate stage until September 10, but by then, some voters could have their ballots already in hand. 

Both campaigns this year have encouraged supporters to vote in whichever way works best for them by Election Day after some Republicans rejected vote-by-mail options in 2020 amid criticism from Trump.

It is important for voters to check the requirements and deadlines specific to voting before Election Day in their state, but here is what voters should know ahead of the very first voting getting underway: 

Voters should check with their state on options available to them if they would like to have a ballot mailed to them for the November election. Depending on the state, some voters are eligible to vote no excuse absentee by mail. There are also some options to request a mail ballot in person and fill it out in the same visit. Other states already will be mailing ballots automatically

The first ballots for the election start being mailed out on September 6 in the battleground state of North Carolina. Those ballots are sent by county boards of elections to eligible voters who submitted an absentee ballot request form.

Absentee voting in Alabama starts just days later on September 11. 

The crucial state of Pennsylvania does not have early voting, but depending on the county, some voters in the battleground state can start voting absentee or by using the mail-in ballot in person 50 days out, meaning September 16.

Just a few days after that, some early voting options become available in Minnesota, South Dakota and Virginia on September 20. That includes early in person or vote by mail in Minnesota. In Virginia, voters can start casting ballots in person early at their local county registrar’s office. And absentee voting begins in South Dakota. 

New York also starts sending out ballots to some eligible voters including those in the military while West Virginia starts sending out mail ballots. Kentucky also begins sending out some absentee voters. 

Multiple states have options to start visiting polling locations or a county offices early to cast ballots in person before Election Day on November 5

On September 21, the first ballots start being mailed out in New Jersey, but some counties could act even sooner. Idaho and Louisiana also begin mailing some ballots.

More ballots start being mailed out two days later in Maryland, Mississippi and Vermont on September 23. On September 24, mailed ballots also begin going out in Missouri. 

On September 26, early voting begins in Illinois which requires the option be available 40 days out from Election day.  Depending on how and when they are requested, ballots also start being mailed out to some eligible voters in Florida, Michigan and North Dakota.

The first ballots in Nebraska start being mailed out on September 30 to those who have requested one. 

Once October rolls around, 19 more states participate in early mail-in voting. 34 more states begin participating in some in-person early or absentee voting that month.

All-Mail Elections

Eight states and the District of Columbia conduct their entire elections primarily by mail. 

Eight states and the District of Columbia conduct their elections primarily by mail but there are locations for people who wish to return ballots in person, etc

California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Vermont and Washington state all have mail-in elections, but each have their own timelines and rules for when voters can bring their ballots back in person should they prefer rather than putting their ballot in the mail.