Early Voting Is Beginning in These States. Here’s What to Know.

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.