We have a Trump sycophant running the postal service and running it into the ground. We have mail delays becoming commonplace. We need to find an alternative to mail in voting for many people.
The answer in many states is early voting.
Early voting is available in 38 states plus the District of Columbia. Some states start as early as 45 days before Election Day! That means people can cast an in person vote on September 19th!
I happen to be in New York where early voting came in place just last year. For ten days before Election Day, any voter can go to one of a few places in their county to cast a vote. Such a system exists in many states and I believe it is a more secure way of voting than mail in ballots.
Now, if we had a normal government, and postal system that was run by an honest person, mail in voting would be the standard. It’s easy, it’s as universal as possible, and it encourages many more people to exercise their right to vote. But we don’t have that this year. We have a fascist in power who is doing everything to discredit the upcoming election. He will burn down everything to avoid a loss that he knows will result in his indictment for possibly hundreds of crimes by Federal attorneys and Attorneys General of several states.
But what about the pandemic. Well, that is another reason why early voting is a good idea.
Let’s use my home state as an example. In 2016, there were about 7.375 million votes cast. The overwhelming majority, probably north of 90%, of them were cast on Election Day that year. In 2016, we had no early voting and you needed an excuse to get an absentee ballot to vote by mail.
What if we were to spread 60% of those votes over the ten days of early voting? Well, then in person voting on Election Day would be about half as busy. The ten days of early voting would see an average of around 425,000 voters. Election Day itself would see under three million voters. Now, I have no doubt that New York voter turnout this year will be way up, but still taking advantage of early voting will be a great help in making sure our votes count.
Spreading out the voter turnout over several days makes social distancing a lot easy and requiring masks is a tremendous help in keeping things safe.
In person early voting will also make having a winner announced on Election Day much more likely. Those early votes are counted on Election Day along with the votes cast that day. We would not need to wait days for mail in ballots to be counted. And we wouldn’t have to wait and worry about the postal service losing, delaying, or even destroying our mail in ballots because of the Trump asslicker running the show there.
For states where there in only vote by mail, you do not have to depend on the postal service. You can bring that filled out ballot directly to a local board of elections office.
Yes, all of this is a hassle. We will have to go out with, in all likelihood with the pandemic still a threat. We will not be able to trust putting a ballot in the mail and knowing if it ever going to make it to its destination and be counted.
But we need to vote. We need to destroy the Republican Party with a astronomical turnout. Early voting may just be the way to do it.
For myself, Election Day will be October 24th, the first day of early voting in New York state.
Finally, the table below shows early voting start and end times for all states. If there is no information next to your state, that means there is no early voting. Each state name is a link to the vote.org webpage where I got this information. A state link will bring you to a page where you can check your registration, register to vote, even provide a link to fill out your Census survey.
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State
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Early in-person voting begins
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Early in-person voting ends
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Alabama
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Alaska
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15 days before the election.
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The day before the election.
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Arizona
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27 days before the election.
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The Friday before the election.
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Arkansas
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15 days before the election.
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The Monday before the election.
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California
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29 days before the election. Varies by county. Voters should contact their county elections office to see if they offer early voting.
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The day before the election. Varies by county. Voters should contact their county elections office to see if they offer early voting.
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Colorado
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Connecticut
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Delaware
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District of Columbia
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Varies as the period is set by the Board of Elections, but not more than 10 days before the election.
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Varies as the period is set by the Board of Elections.
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Florida
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At least 10 days before the election. Varies by county. Voters should contact their county elections office to determine if more early voting dates are available.
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3 days before the election. Varies by county. Voters should contact their county elections office to determine if more early voting dates are available.
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Georgia
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The fourth Monday before the election.
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The Friday before the election.
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Hawaii
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Idaho
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On or before the third Monday before the election. Not all counties conduct early voting. Voters should contact their county elections office for additional information.
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The Friday before the election. Not all counties conduct early voting. Voters should contact their county elections office for additional information.
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Illinois
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40 days before the election.
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The day before the election.
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Indiana
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28 days before the election.
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The day before the election.
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Iowa
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29 days before the election (in-person absentee voting).
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The day before the election (in-person absentee voting).
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Kansas
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Up to 20 days before the election. Varies by county. Voters should contact their county elections office for additional information.
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Up to the day before the election. Varies by county. Voters should contact their county elections office for additional information.
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Kentucky
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Louisiana
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14 days before the election.
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7 days before the election.
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Maine
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30 days before the election (in-person absentee).
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The Thursday before the election (in-person absentee).
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Maryland
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The second Thursday before the election.
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The Thursday before the election.
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Massachusetts
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11 days before the election. In light of COVID-19, the state will have more specific instructions on early voting procedures at a later date.
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The second business day before the election. In light of COVID-19, the state will have more specific instructions on early voting procedures at a later date.
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Michigan
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45 days before the election.
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The day before the election. Varies by county. Voters should contact their county elections office for additional information.
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Minnesota
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46 days before the election (in-person absentee voting).
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The day before the election (in-person absentee voting).
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Mississippi
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Missouri
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Montana
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30 days before the election (in-person absentee voting).
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Noon on the day before the election (in-person absentee voting).
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Nebraska
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30 days before the election.
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1 day before the election.
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Nevada
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17 days before the election.
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4 days before the election.
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New Hampshire
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New Jersey
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45 days before the election (in-person absentee voting).
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3pm on the day before the election (in-person absentee voting).
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New Mexico
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28 days before the election.
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3 days before the election.
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New York
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10 days before the election.
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2 days before the election.
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North Carolina
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19 days before the election.
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3 days before the election.
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North Dakota
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At least 15 days before the election. Varies by county. Voters should contact their county elections office for additional information.
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The day before the election.
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Ohio
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28 days before the election (in-person absentee voting).
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2pm on the day before the election (in-person absentee voting).
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Oklahoma
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5 days before the election.
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2pm 3 days before Election Day.
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Oregon
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Pennsylvania
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Varies by county. Pennsylvania does not offer early voting, but counties may make mail ballots available to voters in person up to 50 days before Election Day.
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Mail ballots may be dropped off in county offices until Election Day.
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Rhode Island
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South Carolina
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South Dakota
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46 days before the election (in-person absentee voting).
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The day before the election (in-person absentee voting).
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Tennessee
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20 days before the election.
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5 days before the election.
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Texas
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22 days before the election.
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4 days before the election.
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Utah
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14 days before the election.
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4 days before the election.
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Vermont
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45 days before the election.
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The day before the election.
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Virginia
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45 days before the election (in-person absentee voting).
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3 days before the election (in-person absentee voting).
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Washington
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18 days before the election.
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Through Election Day (state does not distinguish between early voting and voting on Election Day)
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West Virginia
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13 days before the election.
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3 days before the election.
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Wisconsin
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At least 14 days before the election (in-person absentee voting). Varies by municipality. Voters should contact their county elections office for additional information.
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As late as 2 days before the election (in-person absentee voting). Varies by municipality. Voters should contact their county elections office for additional information.
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Wyoming
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45 days before the election (in-person absentee voting).
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The day before the election (in-person absentee voting).
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