When does early voting start?
Early in-person voting dates vary by state, starting anywhere from 50 days before the election to the Friday before Election Day.
Early in-person voting may begin as early as 50 days before the election, or as late as the Friday before the election. The average start date is 27 days before the election. Early in-person voting is offered to all voters in 47 states, Washington DC, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
When early voting starts and ends
Early in-person voting may begin as early as 50 days before the election, or as late as the Friday before the election. The average start date is 27 days before the election. Periods range in length from three to 46 days, and the average is 20 days. Early voting typically ends just a few days before Election Day.
Where early voting is available
Early in-person voting is offered to all voters in 47 states, Washington DC, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. It is not offered in Alabama, Mississippi or New Hampshire.
Check your local dates
Get your own dates and hours from your county election office, because start dates and weekend hours are set locally as well as by statute.
Options in states without early voting
Alabama, Mississippi and New Hampshire do not offer early in-person voting. Mississippi allows absentee voting with an excuse, and it is the state whose five business day post election receipt window the Supreme Court upheld in Watson v. Republican National Committee on June 29, 2026. 13 states require an excuse to get a mail ballot, so the absentee route in these states is narrower than no excuse mail voting elsewhere.
If you live in one of the three, ask your county or municipal election office two questions: whether you qualify for an absentee ballot and on what grounds, and whether in person absentee voting at the clerk office is available to you before election day, since several states offer that without calling it early voting.
See every question about mail and early voting
Find answers on absentee ballots, drop boxes, postmark rules, and how to vote before Election Day in your state.
Mail and early votingFrequently asked questions
Q. When does early voting start?
Early in-person voting may begin as early as 50 days before the election, or as late as the Friday before the election. The average start date is 27 days before the election. Periods range in length from three to 46 days, and the average is 20 days. Get your own dates and hours from your county election office, because start dates and weekend hours are set locally as well as by statute.
Q. Which states do not offer early in-person voting?
Alabama, Mississippi and New Hampshire. 47 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands offer early in-person voting to all voters. If you live in one of the three, ask your county or municipal election office whether you qualify for an absentee ballot and on what grounds, and whether in person absentee voting at the clerk office is available to you before election day.
Sources
- National Conference of State Legislatures, Early In-Person Voting, https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/early-in-person-voting · 2026-08-11