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

Wyoming

Submitted by Monday, Oct. 21
Election Day registration and voting: Tuesday, Nov. 5 by 7 p.m.