In previous elections, many voters grew agitated with long lines when they attempted to vote. We have the answer to avoid long delays on November 4th: 43 states across the country allow early voting with 34 of those states not having any special requirements to vote early.
The New York Times reports, in the three states with the longest lines in, precincts in minority neighborhoods were systematically deprived of the resources they needed to make voting operate smoothly — specifically, voting machines and poll workers, according to the report by the Brennan Center for Justice. The report’s data show the growing need for federal supervision of voting rights, though ensuring supervision is harder than ever since the Supreme Court removed the teeth from the Voting Rights Act of 1965 last year.
Click below to find out to see if your states offers early voting!The seven states that do not allow any form of early voting currently are : Alabama, Connecticut, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. And Massachusetts will allow early voting for all November state elections starting.
If you currently live in Delaware, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, South Carolina, or Virgina, you can vote early but there are special requirements needed to do so which includes reasons like absence from the county on election day, illness or physical disability, you are an appointed election officer or poll worked at a polling place other than his or her own, you work a required shift during polling hours on election day, or because of religious observance.
Here are how the rest of the states stack up in terms of early voting:
Alaska: Early voting begins 15 days before an election and ends on election day.
Arizona: Early voting begins 26 days before an election and ends at 5 p.m. on the Friday prior to election day.
Arkansas: Early voting begins seven to 15 days before an election and ends on the day prior to election day.
California: Early voting dates in California are determined by the counties. Look up your county information.
Colorado: Early voting begins 15 days before a general election and ends on the day prior to election day.
Florida: Early voting begins 10 days before an election and ends three days prior to election day.
Georgia: Early voting is held Monday through Friday of the week immediately preceding the election.
Hawaii: Early voting begins 14 days before an election and ends three days prior to election day.
Idaho: Early voting begins as soon as ballots become available and ends at 5 p.m. the Friday before election day.
Illinois: Early voting begins 15 days before an election and ends on the third day prior to the election.
Indiana: Early voting begins 29 days before an election and ends on the day prior to election day.
Iowa: Early voting begins as soon as ballots are made available and ends on the day prior to election day, unless the polls open at noon, then early voting would occur from 8 a.m. until 11 a.m. on election day as well.
Kansas: Early voting can begin as early as 20 days before an election and ends on the day prior to election day.
Louisiana: Early voting begins 14 days before an election and ends seven days prior to election day.
Maine: Early voting begins as soon as ballots are made available and ends the day before election day.
Maryland: Early voting begins on the second Thursday prior to election and ends on the Thursday before the election.
Montana: Early voting begins as soon as ballots are made available and ends on the day prior to election day.
Nebraska: Thirty days before Election Day is the first day early voting ballots are available to vote at a county office. Ballot are sent to non-military stateside applicants 35 days before the election.
Nevada: Early voting begins on the third Saturday before the election and ends on the Friday prior to election day 17 days before Election Day.
New Jersey: Does not have a state-wide early voting system in place it depends on the county, some do and some don’t.
New Mexico: Early voting begins on the third Saturday (17 days) before the election and ends on the Saturday (three days) prior to election day.
North Carolina: Early voting begins on the third Thursday, 19 days, prior to election day and ends on the Saturday, three days, prior to the election.
North Dakota: Early voting begins 15 days before an election and ends on the day prior to election day.
Ohio: Early voting begins 29 days before an election and ends the day prior to election day.
Oklahoma: Early voting is held on the Thursday and Friday (and Saturday for state and federal elections only) immediately preceding election day.
Oregon: Oregon exclusively uses a vote by mail system. As such, there is no need for explicit absentee or early voting procedures.
South Dakota: Completed ballots must be returned to the county election official by close of polls on Election Day.
Tennessee: Early voting begins 20 days before Election Day and ends five days prior.
Texas: Early voting begins the 17th day before an election and ends on the fourth day prior to Election Day.
Utah: Early voting begins 14 days before an election and ends the Friday prior to Election Day.
Vermont: Early voting begins 45 days before an election and ends on the day prior to election day.
Washington: Early voting begins 18 days before an election and ends on the day prior to election day.
West Virginia: Early voting begins 13 days before an election and ends three days prior to election day.
Wisconsin: Early voting runs for two weeks before an election, ending at 5 p.m. or close of business (whichever is later) on the Friday before the election.
Wyoming: Early voting begins 40 days before an election and ends on the day prior to Election Day.
[…] states not having any special requirements to vote early. To find out where your state stands, click here for our early voting article and don’t forget to vote early or on November […]