Story highlights
Most states offer voters a way to vote ahead of Election Day
See if you live in one and what you would need to do
Most eyes are on Election Day, but voting gets underway well before that. In fact, Iowa voters are allowed to begin casting early voting ballots Thursday.
If you want to vote and get it out of the way on your own schedule, you might be able to.
Why wait for November? Campaigns look to lock in support before Election Day
Here are the states that allow early voting and absentee voting without an excuse, and what you need to do if you want to go that route.
How to register to vote in every state and territory
Alabama
There is no early voting and absentee voting requires an excuse.
Alaska
You can vote early beginning on October 24. Locations are due to be posted here.
Arizona
You can vote early starting October 12. To join the “permanent early voting list” send in your form, and election officials will send you a ballot to mail in before the election.
Arkansas
You can vote early starting on October 24 at your county clerk’s office on Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The early voting period ends at 5:00 p.m. on the Monday before Election Day. For more information, see here.
California
Ballots for mail-in voting get sent out starting October 10, and county offices allow in-person services that amount to early voting by mail on the same day. Some counties open multiple election service centers ahead of Election Day. For more information, see here.
Colorado
Colorado holds elections by mail, but also facilitates in-person voting. The window begins ahead of October 24. See here for your county.
Connecticut
There is no early voting and absentee requires an excuse.
Delaware
There is no early voting and absentee requires an excuse.
District of Columbia
The D.C. Board of Elections said it has expanded its early voting window, which now runs from October 22 to November 4. The early voting center in Judiciary Square will be the first to open, with others due to open the following week. For more information, see here.
Florida
You can vote early from October 29 to November 5.
Georgia
Advance voting takes place from October 17 to November 4.
Hawaii
You can early vote from October 25 to November 5. For more information, see here.
Idaho
Counties must send out requested absentee ballots by September 23. You can early vote in-person until November 4, although opening dates and polling centers vary by county.
Illinois
You can early vote from September 29 until November 7. To find your location, see here.
Indiana
You can vote absentee-in-person beginning October 12. For more information, see here.
Iowa
You can vote absentee in person “no earlier than 40 days” before the election, which this year would come on September 29. For more information, see here.
Kansas
You can begin advance voting on October 19. Advance voting ends at noon on November 7. For more information, see here.
Kentucky
There is no early voting and absentee requires an excuse.
Louisiana
You can early vote from October 25 to November 1. For more information, see here.
Maine
You can vote in-person absentee as soon as ballots are available “at least 30 days before the election” at your municipal clerk’s office, according to the Maine secretary of state’s website. This year the window will begin on September 24.
Maryland
You can early vote from October 27 to November 3 from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm, including weekends. The Maryland State Board of Elections says ballots for absentee voting will begin going out in late September. For more information, see here.
Massachusetts
You can early vote from October 24 until November 4. For more information, see the Massachusetts secretary of state’s website. According to the Boston Globe, this is the first time Massachusetts has had early voting.
Michigan
There is no early voting and absentee requires an excuse.
Minnesota
You can early vote between September 23 and November 7. For more information, see here.
Mississippi
There is no early voting and absentee requires an excuse.
Missouri
There is no early voting and absentee requires an excuse.
Montana
You can vote in-person absentee as soon as ballots are available, from October 11 to November 7. For more information, see here.
Nebraska
You can early vote by mail by contacting your county clerk or election commissioner from October 10 to November 7. It must arrive by closing time at the polls on Election Day. For more information, see here.
Nevada
You can early vote from October 22 to November 4. For more information, see here.
New Hampshire
There is no early voting and absentee requires an excuse.
New Jersey
You can vote by mail, which the state considers a form of early voting. New Jersey begins sending ballots out on September 24 and the county clerk must receive them before Election Day. To apply for a mail-in ballot, go here.
New Mexico
You can vote absentee in person from October 11 until November 5 at 5:00 p.m. For more information, see here.
New York
There is no early voting and absentee requires an excuse.
North Carolina
You can participate in North Carolina’s “One-stop voting” period from October 20 to November 5. The state’s board of elections said absentee ballots began to go out September 9. For more information, see here.
Supreme Court won’t reinstate North Carolina voter ID law
North Dakota
You can vote absentee and mail from September 29 to November 7. For more information, see here.
Ohio
You can early vote on weekdays from October 12 to October 28 and any day from October 29 through November 7. For more information, see here.
Oklahoma
You can early vote from November 3 to 5. For more information, see here.
Oregon
This state conducts its elections by mail. Send your ballot in from October 19 through Election Day. Request a ballot here.
Pennsylvania
There is no early voting and absentee requires an excuse.
Rhode Island
There is no early voting and absentee requires an excuse.
South Carolina
There is no early voting and absentee requires an excuse.
South Dakota
You can vote absentee from September 23 to November 7. For more information, see here.
Tennessee
The early voting window is Oct 19- Nov 3, but the hours will vary by county, the Secretary of State’s office said. For your county election commission’s contact information, click here.
Texas
You can early vote from October 24 to November 4. For more information, see here.
Utah
You can early vote from October 25 to November 4, and the Utah lieutenant governor’s office said by-mail ballots will go out starting October 18. To find your polling place, see here.
Vermont
You can vote early from September 23 to November 7. For more information, see here.
Virginia
There is no early voting and absentee requires an excuse.
Washington
This state conducts its elections by mail. The 18-day voting period goes from October 21 through Election Day. For more information, see here.
West Virginia
You can early vote from October 26 to November 5 during regular business hours and Saturday from 9:00 am to 5:00pm. For more information, see here.
Wisconsin
You can early vote during weekdays from October 24 to November 4 and hours vary by municipality. For more information, see here.
Wyoming
You can vote absentee in person or by mail starting 40 days ahead of the election, which this year means September 29. For more information, see here.
CNN’s Rob Yoon contributed to this report.
