High level differences in state voting practices may determine when and the type of data available for early voting and absentee voting.
- Example 1: In states that offer early-in person voting 15 days prior to the election date, the earliest you can expect to see a status change for a ballot cast would be 15 days. In the 15 day early voting window, you might see Voted Method = “Early In Person” and Ballot Status = “Ballot Cast.”
- Example 2: States that offer mail-in voting generally report the ballot type as absentee and they may offer early in-person voting as well for a limited time period before the election. In the early voting window, you might see Voted Method = “Early In Person” or “Absentee or Mail.”
- Example 3: States that offer universal mail-in voting mail out ballots to all eligible voters in advance of that state's early voting window. These states generally report these ballots as requested ballots without a requested date, as most individuals did not explicitly request a ballot. You might see Ballot Status = “Requested” for all eligible voters in the state and a Ballot Status Last Updated value for very few of them.
The table that appears below provides state level information on early voting and absentee voting and when the data is available in Organizer. The table is in alphabetical order by state. You may find it useful to use the Find Text to quickly locate a state's information (CTRL+F on Windows or Command+F on Mac).
| State | Earliest Date for Early-In Person: Ballots Cast | Earliest Date for any Ballot Status Changes | Notes on Absentee Ballot and Mail-In States |
|---|---|---|---|
| AL | n/a | 45 days before the election | You may vote by absentee ballot in Alabama with an excuse |
| AK | 15 days before the election | 25 days before the election | Any registered Alaska voter may apply for an absentee ballot and vote by mail. |
| AZ | 27 days before the election | 24 to 27 days before the election | Any registered Arizona voter may apply for an absentee ballot and vote by mail. |
| AR | 15 days before the election | 46 days before the election | You may vote by absentee ballot in Arkansas with an excuse |
| CA | 29 days before the election | 29 days before the election | Absentee ballots will automatically be sent to all registered voters. |
| CO | 15 days before the election | 18-22 days before the election | Mail ballots will automatically be sent to all registered voters. |
| CT | 15 days before the election | 31 days before the election | You may vote by absentee ballot in Connecticut with an excuse |
| DE | 10 days before the election | 60 days before the election | You may vote by absentee ballot in Delaware with an excuse |
| DC | varies | Not specified | Absentee ballots will automatically be sent to all registered voters. |
| FL | varies | 33 to 40 days before the election | Any registered Florida voter may apply for an absentee ballot and vote by mail. |
| GA | the fourth Monday before the election | 25 to 29 days before the election | Any registered Georgia voter may apply for an absentee ballot and vote absentee. |
| HI | 10 days before the election | The start date is not specified, but ballots must be received by voters at least 18 days before the election | Absentee ballots will automatically be sent to all registered voters. |
| ID | the third Monday before the election | 45 days before the election | Any registered Idaho voter may apply for an absentee ballot and vote by mail. |
| IL | 40 days before the election | 40 days before the election | Any registered Illinois voter may apply for an absentee ballot and vote by mail. |
| IN | 28 days before the election | 45 days before the election | You may vote by absentee ballot by mail in Indiana with an excuse. |
| IA | 20 days before the election | 20 days before the election | Any registered Iowa voter may apply for an absentee ballot and vote by mail. |
| KS | 20 days before the election | 20 days before the election | Any registered Kansas voter may apply for an absentee ballot and vote by mail. |
| KY | 5 days before the election | 50 days before the election | You may vote by absentee ballot by mail in Kentucky with an excuse. |
| LA | 14 days before Election Day (18 days before Election Day for the presidential election) | 45 days before the election | You may vote by absentee ballot by mail in Louisiana with an excuse. |
| ME | 30 days | 30 days before the election | Any registered Maine voter may apply for an absentee ballot and vote by mail. |
| MD | the second Thursday before the election | 43 days before the election | Any registered Maryland voter may apply for an absentee ballot and vote by mail. |
| MA | 17 days before the election | 30 days before the election | Any registered Massachusetts voter may apply for an absentee ballot and vote by mail. |
| MI | the second Saturday before the election | 45 days before the election | Any registered Michigan voter may apply for an absentee ballot and vote by mail. |
| MN | 46 days before the election | 46 days before the election | Any registered Minnesota voter may apply for an absentee ballot and vote by absentee ballot. |
| MS | 45 days before the election | 40 days before the election | You may vote by absentee ballot in Mississippi with an excuse. |
| MO | the second Tuesday before the election | 42 days before the election | You can vote by absentee ballot in Missouri with an excuse. |
| MT | 30 days before the election | 25 days before election | Any registered Montana voter may apply for an absentee ballot and vote by mail. |
| NE | 30 days before the election | 35 days before the election | Any registered Nebraska voter may apply for an absentee ballot and vote by mail. |
| NV | 17 days before the election | Not specified. No later than 20 days before an election | Absentee ballots will automatically be sent to all registered voters. |
| NH | n/a | 30 days before the election | You may vote by absentee ballot in New Hampshire with an excuse. |
| NJ | 10 days | 45 days before the election | Any registered New Jersey voter may apply for an absentee ballot and vote by mail. |
| NM | 28 days | 28 days before the election | Any registered New Mexico voter may apply for an absentee ballot and vote by mail. |
| NY | 10 days before an election | 46 days before the election | Any registered New York voter may apply for an absentee ballot and vote by mail. |
| NC | the third Thursday before the election | 60 days before the election | Any registered North Carolina voter may apply for an absentee ballot and vote by mail. |
| ND | 15 days before an election | 40 days before the election | Any North Dakota resident may apply for an absentee ballot and vote by mail. |
| OH | 29 days before an election | 29 days before the election | Any registered Ohio voter may apply for an absentee ballot and vote absentee. |
| OK | For primary elections, Thursday before Election Day. For general elections, Wednesday before Election Day. | 45 days before the election | Any registered Oklahoma voter may vote by absentee ballot. |
| OR | n/a | 20 days before the election | Absentee ballots will automatically be sent to all registered voters. |
| PA | varies | As soon as possible after ballots are printed, but no later than the second Tuesday prior to the Election | Any registered Pennsylvania voter may vote by absentee ballot. |
| RI | 20 days | Not specified | Any registered Rhode Island voter may apply for an absentee ballot and vote by mail. |
| SC | 15 days | Not specified (when ballots become available) | You may vote by absentee ballot in South Carolina with an excuse. |
| SD | 46 days | 30 days before the election | Any registered South Dakota voter may apply for an absentee ballot and vote by mail. |
| TN | 20 days | 46 days before the election | You may vote by absentee ballot in Tennessee with an excuse. |
| TX | 17 days | Not specified | You may vote by absentee ballot in Texas with an excuse. |
| UT | 14 days | 45 days before the election | Absentee ballots will automatically be sent to all registered voters. |
| VT | 45 days | 21 days before the election | Absentee ballots will automatically be sent to all registered voters for the general elections. |
| VA | 45 days | 43 days before the election | Any registered Virginia voter may apply for an absentee ballot and vote by mail. |
| WA | 18 days | Not specified | Absentee ballots will automatically be sent to all registered voters. |
| WV | 13 days | 45 days before the election | All registered West Virginia voters may vote by absentee ballot in person during the period of early voting. You may vote by absentee ballot by mail in West Virginia with an excuse. |
| WI | 14 days | 18 days before the election | Any registered Wisconsin voter may apply for an absentee ballot and vote by mail. |
| WY | 28 days | 46 days before the election | Any registered Wyoming voter may apply for an absentee ballot and vote by mail. |
Related Resources
Vote History and Voting Activity Overview
View all Data Dictionary articles for Civic Data
Filter the “Voting Activity" Category of Attributes in Community Builder
Early Voting and Absentee Voting Data - State Guide
Partisan Data Registered Party and Ballot Party - State Guide 501C4 only