DemDaily: The Early Vote. In Your State.
October 5, 2022
Now just 33 days out from Election Day, eight states have begun early voting in what is expected to be a historical turnout for a midterm election.
In the unprecedented environment of voting during the age of COVID in 2020, the voting process and rules for almost every state were disrupted. As a result, 69% of voters cast their ballot by mail or before Election Day.
While a number of states have subsequently adopted some of those measures permanently, close to a dozen, primarily red states, have enacted laws that restrict access to the vote.
The push is driven in part by Republicans who have embraced former President Donald Trump's false claims of fraud in the 2020 election -- despite a lack of evidence.
More pointedly, the election interference laws disproportionately disenfranchise low-income and minority voters who are part of the Democratic base.
Since 2020, states have passed more than 30 new voting restrictions, from voter ID requirements to limits on mail-in voting and polling locations.
How They Vote
In truth, early vote and vote-by-mail is a verifiably more efficient process, as it cuts wait times at the polls, improves poll worker performance, and allows for the correction of errors. It also helps narrow the race and class turnout gap by enabling working, disabled, and disadvantaged voters more flexibility.
Currently, 45 states, DC and four territories permit no-excuse early voting in some form and all states allow for some form of absentee or mail-in balloting.
Four states -- Alabama, Connecticut, Mississippi, and New Hampshire -- do not offer early vote, but do offer pre-Election Day in-person voting options for eligible absentee voters.
Eight states -- California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Vermont and Washington -- hold "all-mail elections," which are conducted primarily by mail, but may have in-person voting options available.
Voting Now: Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia and Wyoming.
Voting Resources
Check Your State Voter Deadlines: Vote.org
Check your registration: IWillVote.com, Hotline: 833.336.8683
En Español: IWillVote.com. Hotline: 866.296.8686
Overseas Voters: votefromabroad.org
DemList will keep you informed.
DemList
Connecting You to The Party
Connecting You to Each Other
Kimberly Scott
Publisher
Please Support Our Work!
SignUp for the Daily updates on policy, politics and the players.
Follow DemList on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn
Sources: Ballotpedia, Vote.org, NCSL, State SOSs, US Census, Brennan Center, Reuters
