Early Voting Begins in Minnesota, South Dakota and Virginia

• Sept. 20, 2024, 5:42 p.m. ET

Early voting began successful Minnesota, South Dakota and Virginia connected Friday, letting voters successful those states formed ballots portion Election Day remains a period and a fractional away, connected Nov. 5.

All 3 states began sending retired message ballots connected Friday, and residents present person the enactment of voting successful person. Minnesota and South Dakota are letting voters capable retired ballots and crook them successful astatine assorted locations, portion Virginia has opened immoderate polling locations.

Historically, voters who were incapable to marque it to the polls connected Election Day had to petition absentee ballots. But message and absentee ballots present relation efficaciously the aforesaid successful galore states. The terminology utilized varies; Minnesota, South Dakota and Virginia mostly notation to aboriginal voting ballots arsenic absentee.

None of the 3 states are must-win battlegrounds, astir of which commencement in-person aboriginal voting successful October. Read much astir important dates and deadlines, and ways to entree accusation astir the voting process successful your state.

Minnesota

Voters tin implicit insubstantial ballots successful idiosyncratic oregon petition message ballots done an online signifier oregon by mail. The ballots tin beryllium submitted successful idiosyncratic astatine designated voting locations, which see municipal buildings, nationalist libraries and assemblage centers. Ballots that are mailed successful indispensable beryllium received by Election Day.

South Dakota

South Dakotans tin implicit insubstantial ballots successful idiosyncratic astatine their section region auditor’s bureau during concern hours oregon petition to person them mailed. All message ballots indispensable beryllium received by the extremity of concern connected Nov. 4, the time earlier Election Day.

Virginia

Many counties opened astatine slightest 1 polling determination connected Friday, including section wide registrar’s offices. Not each polling locations are unfastened yet. More volition unfastened done precocious October. Early voting ends connected Nov. 2.

Virginia voters tin petition message ballots successful idiosyncratic astatine the section registrar’s office, by message oregon online done Oct. 15. Voters who petition ballots aft the deadline whitethorn inactive beryllium eligible successful cases of exigency oregon unexpected obligation. Mail ballots indispensable beryllium submitted successful idiosyncratic by 7 p.m. connected Election Day or, if submitted by mail, postmarked connected oregon earlier Election Day and received by the registrar’s bureau by noon connected Nov. 8.

Taylor Robinson contributed reporting.