On this page
Elections
2026 Early Voting Dates by State
When early voting opens in every state for the November 3, 2026 midterm elections — the first in-person ballots are cast in mid-September, almost seven weeks before Election Day.
Early Voting Opens · 3 states · October 4, 2026
Quick Answer
- Earliest States
- Minnesota & South Dakota — ≈ September 18, 2026 (46 days out)
- Most States
- Open early voting in mid-to-late October 2026
- All-Mail States
- 8 states + D.C. mail every active voter a ballot automatically
- No Early Voting
- Alabama, Mississippi, New Hampshire
- Election Day
- Tuesday, November 3, 2026 — everywhere
Early Voting Dates by State
| State | Early Voting Begins | Ends | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| AlabamaHow to vote → | No early in-person voting | Absentee voting requires an excuse. | |
| AlaskaHow to vote → | ≈ Oct 19 · 15 days before Election Day | Election Day | |
| ArizonaHow to vote → | ≈ Oct 7 · 27 days before Election Day | Friday before Election Day | |
| ArkansasHow to vote → | ≈ Oct 19 · 15 days before Election Day | 5 p.m. the Monday before Election Day | |
| CaliforniaHow to vote → | ≈ Oct 5 · 29 days before Election Day | Election Day | All-mailEvery active voter is mailed a ballot; in-person options vary by county. |
| ColoradoHow to vote → | ≈ Oct 19 · 15 days before Election Day | Election Day | All-mailEvery active voter is mailed a ballot. |
| ConnecticutHow to vote → | ≈ Oct 19 · 15 days before Election Day | 2 days before Election Day | |
| DelawareHow to vote → | ≈ Oct 24 · 10 days before Election Day | Sunday before Election Day | |
| FloridaHow to vote → | ≈ Oct 24 · 10 days before Election Day | 3 days before Election Day | For elections with state and federal races — which 2026 is — supervisors of elections may open 11 to 15 days out (as early as Oct 19) and may end two days before. Check your county. |
| GeorgiaHow to vote → | ≈ Oct 12 · Fourth Monday before Election Day | Friday before Election Day | |
| HawaiiHow to vote → | ≈ Oct 20 · 10 business days before Election Day | Election Day | All-mailEvery active voter is mailed a ballot. |
| IdahoHow to vote → | ≈ Oct 12 · On or after the fourth Monday before Election Day | 5 p.m. Friday before Election Day | County option — start dates vary. |
| IllinoisHow to vote → | ≈ Sep 24 · 40 days before (temporary sites); 15 days before (permanent sites) | Day before Election Day | |
| IndianaHow to vote → | ≈ Oct 6 · 28 days before Election Day | Noon, day before Election Day | |
| IowaHow to vote → | ≈ Oct 14 · 20 days before Election Day | 5 p.m. day before Election Day | |
| KansasHow to vote → | ≈ Oct 14 · 20 days before Election Day (county option) | Noon, day before Election Day | Some counties start as late as the Tuesday before. |
| KentuckyHow to vote → | ≈ Oct 29 · Thursday before Election Day | Saturday before Election Day | Three days of no-excuse early voting. |
| LouisianaHow to vote → | ≈ Oct 20 · 14 days before Election Day | 7 days before Election Day | |
| MaineHow to vote → | ≈ Oct 4 · 30 days before Election Day (in-person absentee) | 3 business days before Election Day, absent an excuse | In-person absentee at the clerk’s office. Ballots must be printed and ready first, so the practical start varies by town. |
| MarylandHow to vote → | ≈ Oct 22 · Second Thursday before Election Day | Thursday before Election Day | |
| MassachusettsHow to vote → | ≈ Oct 17 · 17 days before Election Day (state general elections) | 2 business days before Election Day | |
| MichiganHow to vote → | ≈ Oct 24 · Second Saturday before Election Day | Sunday before Election Day | Nine days of early voting, Saturday through the Sunday before Election Day. Cities and townships may offer more. |
| MinnesotaHow to vote → | ≈ Sep 18 · 46 days before Election Day | 5 p.m. day before Election Day | Earliest start in the nation (in-person absentee). |
| MississippiHow to vote → | No early in-person voting | Absentee voting requires an excuse. | |
| MissouriHow to vote → | ≈ Oct 20 · Second Tuesday before Election Day | Day before Election Day | No-excuse in-person absentee. |
| MontanaHow to vote → | ≈ Oct 4 · 30 days before Election Day | Day before Election Day | |
| NebraskaHow to vote → | ≈ Oct 4 · 30 days before Election Day | Election Day | |
| NevadaHow to vote → | ≈ Oct 17 · Third Saturday before Election Day | Friday before Election Day | All-mailEvery active voter is mailed a ballot. |
| New HampshireHow to vote → | No early in-person voting | Absentee voting requires an excuse. | |
| New JerseyHow to vote → | ≈ Oct 24 · 10 days before Election Day | 2 days before Election Day | |
| New MexicoHow to vote → | ≈ Oct 6 · 28 days before (county clerk); third Saturday before (other sites) | Saturday before Election Day | |
| New YorkHow to vote → | ≈ Oct 24 · 10 days before Election Day | 2 days before Election Day | |
| North CarolinaHow to vote → | ≈ Oct 15 · Third Thursday before Election Day | 3 p.m. last Saturday before Election Day | |
| North DakotaHow to vote → | ≈ Oct 19 · 15 days before Election Day (county option) | Day before Election Day | Counties choose whether and when to open early voting. |
| OhioHow to vote → | ≈ Oct 5 · 29 days before Election Day | 5 p.m. Sunday before Election Day | |
| OklahomaHow to vote → | ≈ Oct 28 · Wednesday before Election Day | 2 p.m. Saturday before Election Day | |
| OregonHow to vote → | ≈ Oct 16 · Ballots mailed ~18 days before Election Day | Election Day | All-mailAll-mail state; drop sites open by the Friday before. |
| PennsylvaniaHow to vote → | When counties finish preparing mail ballots (up to 50 days before) | 5 p.m. first Tuesday before Election Day | In-person mail-ballot voting at county offices; start varies by county. |
| Rhode IslandHow to vote → | ≈ Oct 14 · 20 days before Election Day | Day before Election Day | |
| South CarolinaHow to vote → | ≈ Oct 20 · Two weeks before Election Day | Day before Election Day | |
| South DakotaHow to vote → | ≈ Sep 18 · 46 days before Election Day | 5 p.m. day before Election Day | In-person absentee at the county auditor’s office. |
| TennesseeHow to vote → | ≈ Oct 14 · 20 days before Election Day | 5 days before Election Day | |
| TexasHow to vote → | ≈ Oct 17 · 17 days before Election Day | Day before Election Day | 2025 TX SB 2753 would shorten this to 12 days (a Oct 22 start) and require weekend voting throughout, but it does not take effect until the secretary of state publishes a required report. Not in force as of Sept 11, 2026 — re-check before late October. |
| UtahHow to vote → | ≈ Oct 20 · 14 days before Election Day | Friday before Election Day (extendable) | All-mailEvery active voter is mailed a ballot. |
| VermontHow to vote → | ≈ Sep 19 · 45 days before Election Day | 5 p.m. day before Election Day | All-mailEvery active voter is mailed a ballot for general elections. |
| VirginiaHow to vote → | ≈ Sep 19 · 45 days before Election Day | 5 p.m. Saturday before Election Day | |
| WashingtonHow to vote → | ≈ Oct 16 · 18 days before Election Day | 8 p.m. Election Day | All-mailEvery active voter is mailed a ballot. |
| West VirginiaHow to vote → | ≈ Oct 21 · 13 days before Election Day | 3 days before Election Day | |
| WisconsinHow to vote → | ≈ Oct 20 · 14 days before Election Day | Sunday before Election Day | In-person absentee; hours vary by municipality. |
| WyomingHow to vote → | ≈ Oct 6 · 28 days before Election Day | Day before Election Day | |
| District of ColumbiaHow to vote → | ≈ Oct 22 · 12 days before Election Day | Saturday before Election Day | All-mailEvery active voter is mailed a ballot. |
No early in-person voting
≈ Oct 19 – ends Election Day
≈ Oct 7 – ends Friday before Election Day
≈ Oct 19 – ends 5 p.m. the Monday before Election Day
≈ Oct 5 – ends Election Day
≈ Oct 19 – ends Election Day
≈ Oct 19 – ends 2 days before Election Day
≈ Oct 24 – ends Sunday before Election Day
≈ Oct 24 – ends 3 days before Election Day
≈ Oct 12 – ends Friday before Election Day
≈ Oct 20 – ends Election Day
≈ Oct 12 – ends 5 p.m. Friday before Election Day
≈ Sep 24 – ends Day before Election Day
≈ Oct 6 – ends Noon, day before Election Day
≈ Oct 14 – ends 5 p.m. day before Election Day
≈ Oct 14 – ends Noon, day before Election Day
≈ Oct 29 – ends Saturday before Election Day
≈ Oct 20 – ends 7 days before Election Day
≈ Oct 4 – ends 3 business days before Election Day, absent an excuse
≈ Oct 22 – ends Thursday before Election Day
≈ Oct 17 – ends 2 business days before Election Day
≈ Oct 24 – ends Sunday before Election Day
≈ Sep 18 – ends 5 p.m. day before Election Day
No early in-person voting
≈ Oct 20 – ends Day before Election Day
≈ Oct 4 – ends Day before Election Day
≈ Oct 4 – ends Election Day
≈ Oct 17 – ends Friday before Election Day
No early in-person voting
≈ Oct 24 – ends 2 days before Election Day
≈ Oct 6 – ends Saturday before Election Day
≈ Oct 24 – ends 2 days before Election Day
≈ Oct 15 – ends 3 p.m. last Saturday before Election Day
≈ Oct 19 – ends Day before Election Day
≈ Oct 5 – ends 5 p.m. Sunday before Election Day
≈ Oct 28 – ends 2 p.m. Saturday before Election Day
≈ Oct 16 – ends Election Day
ends 5 p.m. first Tuesday before Election Day
≈ Oct 14 – ends Day before Election Day
≈ Oct 20 – ends Day before Election Day
≈ Sep 18 – ends 5 p.m. day before Election Day
≈ Oct 14 – ends 5 days before Election Day
≈ Oct 17 – ends Day before Election Day
≈ Oct 20 – ends Friday before Election Day (extendable)
≈ Sep 19 – ends 5 p.m. day before Election Day
≈ Sep 19 – ends 5 p.m. Saturday before Election Day
≈ Oct 16 – ends 8 p.m. Election Day
≈ Oct 21 – ends 3 days before Election Day
≈ Oct 20 – ends Sunday before Election Day
≈ Oct 6 – ends Day before Election Day
≈ Oct 22 – ends Saturday before Election Day
Rules per NCSL's early in-person voting statute survey; ≈ dates computed for the November 3, 2026 general election.
All-Mail States: Your Ballot Comes to You
In 8 states plus Washington, D.C. — California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, Washington — every active registered voter automatically receives a ballot in the mail, typically two to three weeks before Election Day. You can return it by mail, at a drop box, or vote in person instead.
States Without Early In-Person Voting
Alabama, Mississippi, New Hampshire do not offer early in-person voting. Voters there cast ballots on Election Day, or by absentee ballot with a qualifying excuse. Check vote.gov for your state's absentee rules and deadlines.
Live on Congress Countdown
Live countdown to Election Day — November 3, 2026
Days, hours, and minutes until polls open nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does early voting start for the 2026 midterms?
It depends on your state. The earliest early (in-person absentee) voting begins around September 18, 2026 in Minnesota and South Dakota — 46 days before Election Day. Most states open early voting in mid-to-late October 2026. Three states (Alabama, Mississippi, New Hampshire) have no early in-person voting.
Which states have no early voting?
Alabama, Mississippi, and New Hampshire do not offer early in-person voting. Voters in those states vote on Election Day, November 3, 2026, or absentee with a qualifying excuse.
Which states automatically mail every voter a ballot?
California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, and Washington — plus Washington, D.C. — mail a ballot to every active registered voter for the 2026 general election, typically two to three weeks before Election Day.
When is Election Day 2026?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026, in every state. Early voting windows vary by state, but everyone can vote in person on Election Day itself.
How do I find my exact early voting locations and hours?
Use vote.gov, the federal government’s official voting site — it links directly to your state election office, which publishes exact early voting sites, dates, and hours for the November 3, 2026 election.