There are 90 days until Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 5. But if Americans vote like they did in the last two election cycles, most of them will have already cast a ballot before the big day. Early voting starts as soon as Sept. 6 for eligible voters, with seven battleground states sending out ballots to at least some voters the same month. It makes the next few months less a countdown to Election Day, and more the beginning of “election season.”

States have long allowed at least some Americans to vote early, like members of the military or people with illnesses. In some states, almost every voter casts a ballot by mail. Many states expanded eligibility in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic made it riskier to vote in-person. Early voting remained popular in the midterms, with 57% of voters casting a ballot before Election Day.

Elections officials stress that voting early is safe and secure. Recounts, investigations, and lawsuits filed after the 2020 election did not reveal evidence of widespread fraud or corruption.

The difference between “early in-person” and “mail” or “absentee” voting:

There are a few ways to vote before Election Day. The first is early in-person voting, where a voter casts a regular ballot in-person at a voting center before Election Day. The second is voting by mail, where the process and eligibility varies by state.

Eight states vote mostly by mail, including California, Colorado, Nevada, and Utah. Registered voters receive ballots and send them back. Most states allow any registered voter to request a mail ballot and send it back. This is also called mail voting, or sometimes absentee voting. Depending on the state, voters can return their ballot by mail, at a drop box, and/or at an office or facility that accepts mail ballots.

In 14 states, voters must have an excuse to vote by mail, ranging from illness, age, work hours, or if a voter is out of their home county on Election Day.

States process and tabulate ballots at different times. Some states don’t begin counting ballots until election night, which delays the release of results.

September deadlines:

In-person early voting in bold.

Sept. 6
North Carolina – Absentee ballots sent to voters

Sept. 16
Pennsylvania – Mail-in ballots sent to voters

Oct. 31
Kentucky – In-person absentee voting begins

For a comprehensive and up-to-date guide on voter eligibility, processes, and deadlines, make sure to visit Vote.gov and your state’s elections website.

Get ready for the 2024 Election Season with early voting opportunities and ensure your voice is heard in shaping the future of the nation.