Early voting for the November 3 midterm elections in the US began this Friday in several states, opening the electoral process that will extend to most of the country in the coming weeks.
In Minnesota, voters can vote in person early starting September 18, while Virginia also opened its early voting period today. In several other states, including South Dakota and Idaho, voters can use absentee voting procedures at this stage, casting a ballot in person.
Rules and deadlines vary significantly from state to state. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 47 states, along with Washington, D.C., and several U.S. territories, offer all voters some form of in-person early voting.
Early voting periods range from 3 to 46 days, with an average of about 20 days. In some states, voting can begin up to 50 days before the election, while in others it can begin just a few days before November 3.
Alabama, Mississippi and New Hampshire are the three states that do not offer in-person early voting for all voters, although they may have absentee voting options for certain categories of voters.
The midterm elections will be held on November 3 and will include races for the US Congress, as well as elections for positions and institutions at the state and local levels.
