With just weeks to go until the general election, election offices across the country are making their final preparations, and in some cases, accepting ballots.
Here are the answers to some common questions voters may have as they gear up to cast their ballots.
When Is Election Day?
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Who Can Vote?
Only U.S. citizens ages 18 or older are permitted to vote in federal elections.
Can I Vote Early?
That depends on your state.
Most states offer early or absentee voting for any reason, though a few (Alabama, Mississippi, and New Hampshire) require voters to meet certain eligibility requirements.
To vote absentee, you will need to request a ballot before your state’s deadline unless you live in one of a handful of states that automatically mail out ballots to all voters.
Those states include California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia, which allow all elections to be conducted by mail.
Voters stand in a line outside a satellite polling station in Philadelphia on Oct. 27, 2020. Mark Makela/Getty Images
What Do I Need to Do?
The first step to voting—early or otherwise—is to make sure you are registered. All states and territories, save North Dakota, require voters to register.
Most states also either require or request that voters present some form of ID to vote in person, though rules vary.
What Are the Top Races?
With control of the House, Senate, and White House up for grabs, there are many races on this year’s ballot that could prove critical to the balance of power in Washington.
Democrat Vice President Kamala Harris is seeking a promotion to the role of president, while former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, is hoping to secure a second term.
Their running mates, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Sen. JD Vance of Ohio will also be on the ballot.
(Left) Former President Donald Trump, and vice presidential candidate Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) pose for a photo before at an event in Asheboro, N.C., on Aug. 21, 2024. (Right) Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz step off Air Force Two upon arrival in Savannah, Ga., on Aug. 28, 2024. Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images, Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
On Capitol Hill, Republicans’ control of the House and the Democrat majority in the Senate are both hanging by a thread.
With all 435 House seats up for election, Democrats need only flip four to take control of the chamber.
New York’s 4th Congressional District is one place they are eyeing for a gain.
There, freshman Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, a Republican, is defending his seat against Democrat Laura Gillen, former Hempstead town supervisor, in a rematch of 2022.
The race for Arizona’s 1st District seat, currently held by Republican Rep. David Schweikert, is another where Democrats could pull off an upset.
Schweikert won the district by about 3,200 votes in 2022—a thin margin that could bode well for his Democrat challenger, former state Rep. Amish Shah.
Republicans, on the other hand, are hoping to expand their majority by flipping Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, where former NASCAR driver and Republican state lawmaker Austin Theriault is taking on three-term Democrat Rep. Jared Golden.
Pennsylvania’s 8th District is also on Republicans’ radar.
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