HOW TO: Vote Early - A State-by-State Guide

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Voting early will be a huge factor in our success this November. There are many important reasons to vote early. If you're ambivalent toward voting early, I hope that I can change your mind with a few reasons that voting early is so important.

1. By voting early you help out yourself. There will be no need for inordinate amounts of stress if something goes wrong on election day. Car trouble? Lost wallet? Extra work? Well, if you've voted early it's no worse than any other day. And, you avoid the long lines (and oh, will they be long)! This also frees up your time on election day if you must work/pick up the kids/anything at all.

2. By voting early you help other people out. Every election year democrats are forced to go to court to keep voting places open because lines are long and there just never seem to be enough poll workers. Or the republicans seem to have devoted too few resources to large democratic counties. By voting early, you can alleviate some of the strain on your polling place.

3. You can help the campaign out. If you vote early, you can spend election day volunteering (if you have the time). Making calls to GOTV, driving people to polling places, being a poll worker, etc.. Your work on election day will have a huge return on investment.

4. It's a lot harder for corrupt politicians to magic your vote away.

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However, the information about voting early is a little difficult to find. Especially if you're not an internet adept, or if you have a terrible SOS website (Washington, blech!).

So, to help people out, I dug through the SOS websites for all of the battleground states and a few of the big blue states (where people could definitely vote early and then volunteer). Below, I have listed by state

1. The state's SOS website

2. The states policies for early/absentee voting

3. The dates when you can vote early

4. A basic "how to", with links to needed documents and voting locations.

Important notes about the information:
In a lot of states there is no "early" voting, but there is absentee voting. In some of these states, you must "qualify" for absentee voting. Don't be discouraged. Volunteering on election day is a perfectly legitimate reason to vote absentee.
Also, in these states, even though there is no "early voting" option, there is a quick way to vote early. You can vote absentee in person by filing out the absentee application in the polling office and then immediately voting. Good deal!

Before we get to the info, I would like to mention two quick things. First, in order to vote early, you must first be registered. Please go to voteforchange.com to make sure that your registration is correct and up-to-date. The deadline for registration is fast approaching. Please encourage your friends/acquaintances/anyone you know to do so as well. Nothing is worse that getting to your polling place and being unable to vote. Second, please encourage those same people to vote early, and possibly do some volunteering work on election day.

California
www.ss.ca.gov/elections/elections.htm
California has early voting and mail-in voting. In California anyone can vote early.
Voting Window: County dependent
How to:

1. You can vote early in person at any of your county voting locations. Times and dates vary (and are not posted yet in some cases) by county. You can find your specific county information here.

2. Anyone can apply for a mail-in ballot. Vote by mail = absentee voting. Fill out the vote by mail application found here and mail it to your local county elections office, info found here. Starting October 7th, they will begin to mail ballots to the address at which you are registered to vote. You can then mail in your ballot.

Colorado
www.elections.colorado.gov/Default.aspx
Colorado has early voting and mail-in voting. In Colorado anyone can vote early.
Voting Window: October 20th-October 31st (in person) or now- November 3rd (vote by mail)
How to:

1. You can vote early in person by going to any of your valid county voting locations. To find times and locations for your county, you should check your local county website found here

2. Anyone can apply for a mail-in ballot. Vote by mail = absentee voting. Fill out the vote by mail application. I can't link directly to the application. Go here and open the "Mail-in ballot Application" link and mail it to your local county elections office, info found here. They will mail ballots to the address at which you are registered to vote. You can then mail in your ballot.

Florida
http://election.dos.state.fl.us/
Florida has early voting and mail-in voting. In Florida anyone can vote early.
Voting Window: October 20th-November 1stst (in person) or now- Nov 4th (vote by mail)
How to:

1. You can vote early in person by going to any of your valid county voting locations. Locations and voting hours vary by county, check with your Supervisor of Elections website which can be found here

2. Anyone can apply for a mail-in ballot. Vote by mail = absentee voting. You must request your vote by mail application directly from you Supervisor of elections found here . A registered voter may request an absentee ballot by telephone, mail, email, fax, or in person, to be mailed to or picked by the voter. They will mail ballots to the address at which you are registered to vote. You can then mail in your ballot.

Georgia
http://sos.georgia.gov/...
Georgia has early voting and absentee voting. In Georgia anyone can vote early.
Voting Window: October 27th-October 31stst (in person) or now-November 4th (absentee voting)
How to:

1. To vote early, you must go to an advance voting office, and fill out an application. You will then be issued a ballot that must be filled out and cast while you are in the office. Locations and times are county dependent and can be found here.

2. Anyone can apply for an absentee ballot. You must fill out the application here . You can then either

i) Fill it out at one of your country registrar offices, information found here, and vote immediately.
ii) Or fill it out and mail it in to your county here .They will mail ballots to the address at which you are registered to vote. You can then mail in your ballot.

Illinois
www.elections.il.gov/
Illinois has early voting and mail-in voting. In Illinois anyone can vote early.
Voting Window: October 14th-October 30th (in person) or now- November 4th (vote by mail)
How to:

1. You can vote early in person by going to any of the early voting centers across the state. I cannot find any information on the locations yet. You should seek information from your county websites found here

2. Anyone can apply for an absentee ballot. The applications can be found at your local county clerks office found here. You can then either

i) Fill it out at one of your country registrar offices and vote immediately. This can be done from September 30th – November 3rd.
ii) Or fill it out and mail it in to your county clerk's office.They will mail ballots to the address at which you are registered to vote. You can then mail in your ballot. This can be done from September 30th – October 30th.

Indiana
http://www.in.gov/...
Indiana has absentee in person voting and absentee mail-in voting. In Indiana anyone can vote early.
Voting Window: October 6th-November 3rd (in person) or now- November 3rd (vote by mail)
How to:

1. All registered voters in Indiana are eligible to vote absentee-in-person at the county election board office. To do so, you must fill out an application to vote absentee in person (weird, eh?) found here and bring it to your local county clerk's office (found in the same link) where you will be able to vote.

2. To vote absentee by mail, you must check off one of the reasons why you cannot make it to the polls. You must fill out the application found here and return it (mailed, faxed, or hand delivered) to your local county election board (found in the same link) by October 27th. They will mail ballots to the address at which you are registered to vote. You can then mail in your ballot.

Iowa
www.sos.state.ia.us/index.htm
Iowa has absentee in person voting and absentee mail-in voting. You must qualify to vote absentee.
An absentee ballot can be requested for one of these reasons:
-When, during the time the polls are open on Election Day, the voter expects to be absent from the precinct in which he/she is a registered voter.
-When, through illness or physical disability, the voter expects to be prevented from going to the polls and voting on Election Day.
-When the voter expects to be unable to go to the polls and vote on Election Day
Voting Window: September 25th - ??
How To:

1. Any qualified voter may vote early in person by completing the absentee ballot application, found here, at his County Auditor’s Office. Office locations can be found here here.

2. Or you can fill out the form and mail it to the County Auditor's Office. They will mail ballots to the address at which you are registered to vote. You can then mail in your ballot.

Maine
www.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/AbsenteeBallot/index.pl

Michigan
www.michigan.gov/sos/0,1607,7-127-1633---,00.htm
There is absentee voting in Michigan.
To qualify for absentee voting you must be:
-Age 60 or older
-Unable to vote without assistance at the polls
-Expecting to be out of town on election day (eg VOLUNTEERING!)
-There are a few other options
Voting Window: now-November 4th
How to:

1. You can request an absentee ballot by filling in the form found here. . This should then be mailed to your local clerk's office found here. It must arrive by October 31st. They will mail you a ballot which you must then return to vote.

Minnesota
www.sos.state.mn.us/home/index.asp?page=4
Minnesota has absentee voting in-person and by mail.
Voting Window: October 6th-??
How to:

1. If you complete the absentee voter application at a state registrar's office, you can then immediately vote at the same office. Registrar locations here. They should have copies at the registrar's office, but you can still look at/print out an online copy here.

2. Or you can fill out the application and mail it to the state registrar's office. They will send you a ballot which you must then return to vote.

Missouri
www.sos.mo.gov/elections/s_default.asp?id=voting
Missouri has absentee voting by mail and in person. In order to be able to vote absentee, one must fulfill one of various criteria such as: Absence on Election Day from the jurisdiction of the election authority in which such voter is registered to vote (due to, say, volunteering).
Voting Window: In person now-Nov. 3rd. Absentee ballot requests by mail must be received by October 30th.
How to:

1. If you complete the absentee voter application at a county clerk's office, you can then immediately vote at the same office. Information on locations here. They should have copies at the registrar's office, but you can still look at/print out an online copy here.

2. Or you can fill out the application and mail it to the state registrar's office. They will send you a ballot which you must then return to vote.

NOTE: Voters requesting an absentee ballot by mail who have registered by mail and have not voted in person are required to submit a copy of their personal identification unless they provided a copy with their registration application.

Montana
http://sos.mt.gov/...
In Montana absentee voting = early voting. Anyone can vote absentee.
Voting Window: absentee in-person now-September 25th by-mail now-November 3rd
*I am little perplexed by the voting window here, and would suggest you call the free voting hotline to confirm the dates 1-888-884-VOTE (8683)
How to:

1. If you complete the absentee voter application at a state registrar's office, you can then immediately vote at the same office. Registrar locations here. They should have copies at the registrar's office, but you can still look at/print out an online copy here.

2. Or you can mail the form to your local registrar's office and they will send you a ballot.

Nevada
http://sos.state.nv.us/...
Nevada has early voting and absentee voting options available to any person.
Voting Window: Early voting is October 18th to October 31st. Absentee voting now-November 4th.
How to:

1. Voters can vote at any location in their respective county where early voting is offered. Hours and locations vary from county to county. You can check with your local county website here.

2. Any registered voter may request to vote by mail. To request an absentee ballot, you must complete and submit an absentee ballot request form, which may be obtained from your local county election official. You can find county information here. The absentee ballot request must be submitted by October 28th. They will then send you a ballot which you must submit by election day.

New Hampshire
http://www.sos.nh.gov/...
New Hampshire has absentee voting. You must qualify to be able to vote absentee, by (for example) being out of the county on election day volunteering.
Voting Window: October 3rd -November 3rd.
How to:

1. You must complete the absentee ballot application found here and return it to your town or city clerk, locations found here. I could not tell if there is the possibility to fill out the form at the clerk's office and vote at the same time. You might want to call to inquire.

New Jersey
www.njelections.org
New Jersey has absentee voting in-person and by-mail for any voter.
Voting Window: now-November 3rd
How to:

1. If you complete the absentee voter application at a county clerk's office, you can then immediately vote at the same office. County Clerk's office locations here. They should have copies at the clerks's office, but you can still look at/print out an online copy here.

2. Or you can mail the form to your local registrar's office and they will send you a ballot. You must submit the application by October 27th.

New Mexico
http://www.sos.state.nm.us/...
New Mexico has early voting and absentee voting available to all voters.
Voting Window: Early voting October 6th-November 1st. Absentee voting now-Nov 4th
How to:

1. You may go to your county clerk's office to vote early County clerk locations found here here.

2. Early voting begins on October 18th at alternate sites. Call your county clerk for locations, contact information here . Alternate sites for early voting are open from 12:00 Noon until 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The sites are open from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. on Saturdays. They are closed on Sunday and Monday.

3. Any registered voter may request to vote by mail. To request an absentee ballot, you must complete and submit an absent ballotee request form, found here. Then mail your request to your county clerk. Find your county clerk here. The absentee ballot request must be submitted by October 31st. They will then send you a ballot which you must submit by election day.

New York
http://www.elections.state.ny.us/
New York has absentee voting in-person and by mail. You must qualify to vote absentee in New York, by (for example) being "unavoidably absent from your county on Election Day" while volunteering.
Voting Window: In person October 5th – November 3rd.
How to:

1. If you complete the absentee voter application at your county board of elections, you can then immediately vote at the same location. Board of election locations here. They should have copies at the board of election's office, but you can still look at/print out an online copy here.

2. Or you can fill out the application and mail it to the county board of elections. The application must be received by October 28th. They will send you a ballot which you must then return to vote.

North Carolina
http://www.sboe.state.nc.us/
Any registered voter may vote early in person with "One Stop Early Voting." Any registered voter may vote early by mail.
Voting Window: Early voting October 16th-October 31st. Absentee by mail now – November 3rd.
How to:

1. To use this process, a citizen must (1) go to a One-Stop Voting Site in the county of residence during the One Stop Absentee Voting period, (2) fill out a voter registration application, and (3) provide proof of residency by showing the elections official an appropriate form of identification with the citizen’s current name and current address. To find your local one-stop voting location, contact your county board of elections here.

2. Any registered North Carolina voter can request an absentee ballot from his/her respective county board of elections prior to the last Tuesday before the election. County board of election information can be found here.

*A handwritten absentee ballot request must include:
Name of voter
Residential Address of voter
Mailing Address of voter (if different from residential address)
Date of Birth of voter
Signature of voter or near relative (indicate relationship with voter)
I suspect there is a standard form somewhere.

Ohio
http://www.sos.state.oh.us/...
Ohio has absentee in-person and by-mail voting available to all voters.
Voting Window: September 30th – November 3rd.
How to:

1. If you complete the absentee voter application at your county board of elections, you can then immediately vote at the same location. Board of election locations here.

They should have copies at the board's office, but you can still look at/print out an online copy here.
SPECIAL NOTE: Voter registration goes until October 6th. From September 30th – October 6th you can register to vote and vote early all at once!

2. Or you can fill out the application and mail it to the county board of elections. The application must be received by October 31st. They will send you a ballot which you must then return to vote.

Pennsylvania
http://www.dos.state.pa.us/...
Pennsylvania has absentee by mail. You must qualify to vote absentee in Pennsylvania, by (for example) "expecting to be absent election day" while volunteering. I was not able to determine if there is absentee voting in person.
Voting Window: now – November 3rd.
How to:

1. An application for absentee ballot, found here must be filled out and returned to your County Election Offices by October 28th . County Election Office locations found here. They will send you a ballot which you must then return to vote.

Texas:

Offical Site

1. Early Voting in person-

Early voting in person may be easier than you think. You don't have to stand in long lines on Election Day. Registered voters may vote early at a location convenient to them within their political subdivision. Early voting in person generally starts 17 days before each election and ends 4 days before each election.

2. Early Voting by mail-

You may vote early by mail if you are:

* going to be away from your county on Election Day and during early voting;
* sick or disabled;
* 65 years of age or older on Election Day; or
* confined in jail, but eligible to vote.

Virgina:
www.sbe.virginia.gov/cms/Index.html
Virginia has in-person and by-mail absentee voting. You must qualify to vote absentee, by (for example) "being absent from the county or city" due to volunteering.
Voting Window: September 20th-November 1st
How to:

1. If you complete the absentee voter application at a state registrar's office, you can then immediately vote at the same office. Registrar locations here.

They should have copies at the registrar's office, but you can still look at/print out an online copy here.

2. Or you can fill out the form and mail it to your local registrar's office. They will then mail you a ballot.

Washington
http://www.secstate.wa.gov/...
In Washington any registered voter may vote early by mail.
Voting Window: October 15th to November 4th
How to:

1. An absentee ballot may be requested from the voter's County Auditor's Office by phone, mail, fax, electronically, or in person. Absentee ballots are available 20 days before each election. Contact information for each County Auditor's Office is available here. Absentee ballots must be postmarked or delivered to the county election officer on or before Election Day

Wisconsin
http://elections.state.wi.us/
Wisconsin has in-person and by-mail absentee voting. Any registered voter may request an absentee ballot.
Voting window: now-November 3rd.
How to:

1. If you complete the absentee voter application at your municipal clerk's office, you can then immediately vote at the same office. Clerk's office locations here.

They should have copies at the clerk's office, but you can still look at/print out an online copy here.

2. Or you can fill out the form and mail it to your local registrar's office. The request must be received by October 30th. They will then mail you a ballot.

So there you go. As they say in Chicago, "Vote early, vote...ummm..once!".