When does early voting start? A state-by-state breakdown

WASHINGTON — As America inches closer to Election Day, many states across the country are kicking off early voting. 

Georgia’s registered voters have been turning out in record numbers since early voting began Tuesday. Nearly 460,000 had voted in-person or cast absentee ballots by Wednesday afternoon, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said.

Among those voters was former President Jimmy Carter, who cast his ballot by mail Wednesday at 100 years old.

For the upcoming election, 47 states and the District of Columbia offer early voting options, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Only three states — Alabama, Mississippi and New Hampshire — do not offer early in-person voting. However, some of these states may still have alternative options for eligible absentee voters. 

Here's a look at early voting across the U.S, according to the NCSL. Early voting periods for local or primary elections may be different.  

Be sure to double check with your state and local election resources when putting together your plan to vote.

When does early voting begin? A state-by-state breakdown

Alabama

Early Voting: Not offered

Alaska

Early Voting Begins: Fifteen days before election

Early Voting Ends: Day of election

Locations: Elections supervisors’ offices; other locations as designated by the election director

Hours and Days:

Arizona

Early Voting Begins: Twenty-seven days before election

Early Voting Ends: Friday before election

Locations: Recorder’s office; any other locations in the county deemed necessary by the recorder

Hours and Days: 

Statutes: ARS §16-541, ARS §16-542

Arkansas

Early Voting Begins: Fifteen days before election

Early Voting Ends: 5 p.m. on the Monday before election

Locations: Offices of the county clerk; other locations as determined by the county board of election commissioners

Hours and Days:

Statutes: AR Code §7-5-418

California

Early Voting Begins: Twenty-nine days before election (Note: California conducts elections primarily by mail)

Early Voting Ends: Day of election

Locations: County election officials’ offices; satellite locations as determined by county election officials

Hours and Days: 

Statutes: Elec. Code § 3000.5, Elec. Code §3001, Elec. Code §3018

Colorado

Early Voting Begins: Voter service and polling centers must be open 15 days before an election (Note: Colorado conducts elections primarily by mail)

Early Voting Ends: Day of election

Locations: 

Hours and Days:

Statutes: C.R.S. §1-5-102

Connecticut

Early Voting Begins: Fifteen days before election

Early Voting Ends: Two days before election

Locations: Registrar of voters shall designate locations

Hours and Days:

Statutes: CT Public Act No. 23-5

Delaware

Early Voting Begins: Ten days before an election

Early Voting Ends: Sunday before election

Locations: Determined by State Election Commissioner at least 30 days before an election

Hours and Days:

Statutes: Del. Code Ann. tit. 15, § 5402, §5403, §5404

District of Columbia

Early Voting Begins: Twelve days before election (Note: D.C. conducts elections primarily by mail)

Early Voting Ends: Saturday before election

Locations: No fewer than eight early voting centers, with at least one in a central location within each election ward

Hours and Days: 

Statutes: DC ST § 1-1001.09

Florida

Early Voting Begins: Ten days before election (May be offered 11-15 days before an election that contains state and federal races at the discretion of the elections supervisor)

Early Voting Ends: Three days before election (May end two days before an election that contains state and federal races at the discretion of the elections supervisor)

Locations: Main or branch offices of elections supervisors; other sites designated by the elections supervisor

Hours and Days:

Statutes: Fla. Stat. §101.657

Georgia

Early Voting Begins: Fourth Monday prior to a primary or election; as soon as possible prior to a runoff

Early Voting Ends: Friday immediately prior to a primary, election or runoff

Locations: Board of registrars’ offices; other sites as designated by boards of registrars

Hours and Days:

Statutes: GA ST § 21-2-385

Hawaii

Early Voting Begins: Ten business days prior to Election Day (Note: Hawaii conducts elections primarily by mail)

Early Voting Ends: 7 p.m. on Election Day

Locations: Voter Service Centers

Hours and Days: 

Statutes: HRS § 11-131, HRS § 11-109

Idaho

Early Voting Begins: Third Monday before election (in-person absentee)

Early Voting Ends: 5 p.m., Friday before election

Locations: Determined by county clerk

Hours and Days: 

Statutes: ID Code §34-1006, ID Code §34-1002

Illinois

Early Voting Begins: 40th day before election for temporary polling locations and 15th day before election for permanent locations

Early Voting Ends: End of the day before Election Day

Locations:

An election authority may establish permanent and temporary polling places for early voting at locations throughout the election authority’s jurisdiction, including but not limited to: 

Hours and Days:

Statutes: 10 ILCS 5/19A-15, 10 ILCS 5/19A-20

Indiana

Early Voting Begins: Twenty-eight days before election (in-person absentee)

Early Voting Ends: Noon, day before election

Locations: Office of circuit court clerk; satellite offices may be established by resolution

Hours and Days:

Statutes: Ind. Code §3-11-4-1, Ind. Code 3-11-10-26

Iowa

Early Voting Begins: Twenty days before election (in-person absentee)

Early Voting Ends: 5 p.m., day before election

Locations: Commissioners’ offices; satellite locations may be established

Hours and Days:

Statutes: IA Code §53.10, IA Code §53.11(b)

Kansas

Early Voting Begins: Twenty days before election or Tuesday before election (varies by county)

Early Voting Ends: Noon, day before election

Locations: Offices of county election officers; satellite locations may be designated

Hours and Days: 

Statutes: KSA §25-1119, KSA §25-1122a, KSA §25-1123

Kentucky

Early Voting Begins: Thursday before election

Early Voting Ends: Saturday before election

Locations: Offices of county clerks or other designated locations

Hours and Days:

Statutes: KY ST § 117.076

Louisiana

Early Voting Begins: Fourteen days before election

Early Voting Ends: Seven days before election

Locations: Registrars’ offices; alternate locations may be provided in public buildings

Hours and Days:

Statutes: LA R.S. 18:1303, LA R.S. 18:1309

Maine

Early Voting Begins: Not offered; early in-person absentee voting available as absentee ballots are ready — typically 30-45 days before election

Early Voting Ends: Three business days before election, unless the voter has an acceptable excuse. 

Locations: Municipal clerks’ offices 

Hours and Days: 

Statutes: ME ST T. 21-A §753-B(8), ME ST T. 21-A §753-B(2)

Maryland

Early Voting Begins: Second Thursday before election

Early Voting Ends: Thursday before election

Locations: Established by the State Board of Elections

Hours and Days:

Statutes: MD Code, Election Law §10-301.1

Massachusetts

Early Voting Begins: Seventeenth day before election

Early Voting Ends: Four days before an election 

Locations: 

Hours and Days:

Statutes: M.G.L.A. 54 §25B 

Michigan

Early Voting Begins: Nine days before an election

Early Voting Ends: Sunday before an election 

Locations: Early voting sites may serve more than six precincts and may serve voters from more than one municipality. 

Hours and Days: 

Statutes: MI ST §168.761, MI ST §168.764b

Minnesota

Early Voting Begins: Forty-six days before election (in-person absentee)

Early Voting Ends: 5 p.m. day before election

Locations: Elections offices or any other location designated by county auditor. 

Hours and Days:

Statutes: MN ST §203B.081, MN ST §203B.085

Mississippi

Early Voting: Not offered

Missouri

Early Voting Begins: The second Tuesday before an election (in-person absentee).

Early Voting Ends: Not specified. 

Locations: Locations designated by the election authority. 

Hours and Days: 

Statutes: MO ST §115.277

Montana

Early Voting Begins: Thirty days before election (in-person absentee) 

Early Voting Ends: Day before election

Locations: Elections offices 

Hours and Days:

Statutes: M.C.A. §13-13-205

Nebraska

Early Voting Begins: Thirty days before each election

Early Voting Ends: Election Day

Locations: County clerk or election commissioners’ offices

Hours and Days: 

Statutes: NE ST § 32-808, NE ST §32-938, NE ST 32-942

Nevada

Early Voting Begins: Third Saturday preceding election Note: Nevada conducts elections primarily by mail. 

Early Voting Ends: Friday before election 

Locations: Permanent places for early voting as designated by county clerk; Branch polling places for early voting as designated by county clerk. 

Hours and Days: 

Statutes: N.R.S. §293.356, N.R.S. 293.3564, N.R.S. 293.3568

New Hampshire: 

Early Voting: Not offered

New Jersey

Early Voting Begins: Ten days before the election; in-person absentee voting begins forty-five days before the election 

Early Voting Ends: Sunday before election

Locations: Each county board of elections shall designate at least three, but not more than five public locations within each county

Hours and Days: 

Statutes: NJ ST 19:15A-1

New Mexico

Early Voting Begins: Twenty-eight days before an election at a clerk's office; on the third Saturday before an election for alternate locations 

Early Voting Ends: Saturday before election 

Locations: Clerks’ offices and additional locations based on voter population 

Hours and Days: 

Statutes: N. M. S. A. 1978, § 1-6-5.7

New York

Early Voting Begins: Tenth day before election 

Early Voting Ends: Second day before an election 

Locations: At least one early voting location for every full increment of 50,000 registered voters in each county, but not more than seven are required 

Hours and Days: 

Statutes: NY ELEC § 8-600

North Carolina

Early Voting Begins: Third Thursday before election 

Early Voting Ends: 3 p.m. on the last Saturday before election 

Locations: Office of county board of elections; additional locations at county board's discretion 

Hours and Days: 

Statutes: N.C.G.S.A. §163-227.2

North Dakota 

Early Voting Begins: Fifteen days before election 

Early Voting Ends: Day before election 

Locations: At the discretion of county auditor 

Hours and Days: 

Statutes: NDCC §16.1-07-15 

Ohio 

Early Voting Begins: Twenty-nine days before election 

Early Voting Ends: 2 p.m. Monday before election 

Locations: Main office of board of elections; branch office under certain conditions 

Hours and Days: 

Statutes: O.R.C. § 3509.051, O.R.C. § 3509.01 

Oklahoma

Early Voting Begins: Wednesday preceding an election (in-person absentee)

Early Voting Ends: 2 p.m. on the Saturday before election 

Locations: At a location designated by the county election board 

Hours and Days:

Statutes: OK ST T. 26 § 14-115.4

Oregon 

Early Voting Begins: Drop sites must open the Friday before an election, but may open as soon as ballots are available (18 days before)

Early Voting Ends: Day of election 

Locations: Election offices or other staffed locations (libraries, city halls, etc.) or outdoor mailboxes 

Hours and Days: 

Statutes: OR ST §254.470 

Pennsylvania 

Early Voting Begins: Counties will begin preparing in-person mail/absentee ballots after the official candidate list is certified, no earlier than 50 days before the election 

Early Voting Ends: 5 p.m. first Tuesday prior to day of election 

Locations: Local board of elections 

Hours and Days: 

Statutes: 25 P.S. § 3146.2a

Rhode Island 

Early Voting Begins: Twenty days before election 

Early Voting Ends: Day before election 

Locations: At local boards of canvassers 

Hours and Days: 

Statutes: RI ST §17-20-2.2

South Carolina

Early Voting Begins: Two weeks before Election Day 

Early Voting Ends: Day before election 

Locations: At early voting centers 

Hours and Days: 

Statutes: SC Code § 7-13-25

South Dakota

Early Voting Begins: Forty-six days before election (in-person absentee) 

Early Voting Ends: 5 p.m. the day before the election 

Locations: Office of the person in charge of elections 

Hours and Days: 

Statutes: S.D.C.L. §12-19-1.2, S.D.C.L12-19-2.1

Tennessee

Early Voting Begins: Twenty days before election 

Early Voting Ends: Five days before election (seven days for a presidential preference primary) 

Locations: County election commission office or other designated locations 

Hours and Days: 

Statutes: TN ST §2-6-102(a)(1), TN ST § 2-6-103

Texas

Early Voting Begins: Seventeen days before election 

Early Voting Ends: Four days prior to election 

Locations: 

Hours and Days: 

Statutes: Tex. Elec. Code §85.001, Tex. Elec. Code §85.002

Utah

Early Voting Begins: Fourteen days before election Note: Utah conducts elections primarily by mail. 

Early Voting Ends: Friday before election, may extend to the day before the election 

Locations: In government offices as determined by election officer 

Hours and Days: 

Statutes: Utah Code §20A-3-601

Vermont 

Early Voting Begins: Forty-five days before election Note: Vermont conducts elections primarily by mail. 

Early Voting Ends: 5 p.m. day before election 

Locations: Offices of town clerks; may have mobile polling stations 

Hours and Days: 

Statutes: VT ST T. 17 § 2531, VT ST T. 17 § 2532a, VT ST T. 17 § 2537

Virginia

Early Voting Begins: Forty-five days before election 

Early Voting Ends: 5 p.m. Saturday before election 

Locations: Office of the general registrar; additional locations in public buildings at local discretion 

Hours and Days: 

Statutes: VA Code Ann. § 24.2-701.1

Washington

Early Voting Begins: Eighteen days before an election Note: Washington conducts elections primarily by mail. 

Early Voting Ends: 8 p.m. on day of election 

Locations: Election offices or locations designated by the county auditor 

Hours and Days: 

Statutes: WA ST 29A.40.160

West Virginia

Early Voting Begins: Thirteen days before election

Early Voting Ends: Three days before election

Locations: Courthouse or the annex next to the courthouse 

Hours and Days: 

Statutes: W.V. Code §3-3-3

Wisconsin

Early Voting Begins: Fourteen days preceding the election (in-person absentee)

Early Voting Ends: Sunday preceding the election

Locations: Clerks’ offices

Hours and Days: 

Statutes: Wis. Code §6.86(1)(b)

Wyoming

Early Voting Begins: Twenty-eight days before election (in-person absentee)

Early Voting Ends: Day before election 

Locations: County clerks’ offices; courthouse or other public building 

Hours and Days: 

Statutes: Wyo. Stat. §22-9-105, Wyo. Stat. §22-9-125, Wyo. Stat. § 22-9-107