With 19 days to go until the start of the vote, the “election season” starts earlier than expected

There are 79 days left until Election Day, Tuesday, November 5.

But if Americans vote as they did in the last two election cycles, most of them will have already cast their ballots before the big day.

Early voting begins as early as September 6 for eligible voters, with seven key states sending ballots to at least some voters the same month.

The next few months will therefore no longer be a countdown to election day, but rather the start of “election season.”

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Former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. (Getty Images)

States have long allowed at least some Americans to vote early, such as members of the military or people who are sick.

In some states, almost all voters vote by mail.

Many states expanded eligibility in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic made in-person voting riskier.

That year, Fox News' voter analysis found that 71% of voters cast ballots before Election Day, with 30% voting early in person and 41% voting by mail.

Early voting remained popular in the midterm elections, with 57% of voters casting ballots before Election Day.

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A voter fills out a ballot in Lake Orion, Michigan. (Nic Antaya/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Election officials emphasize that early voting is safe and secure. Recounts, investigations and lawsuits filed after the 2020 election have not found evidence of widespread fraud or corruption.

The difference between “early in-person” voting and “mail-in” or “proxy” voting.

There are several ways to vote before Election Day.

The first is early voting in personwhere a voter casts a regular ballot in person at a voting center before election day.

The second is vote by mailwhere the process and eligibility vary by state.

Eight states vote primarily by mail, including California, Colorado, Nevada and Utah. Registered voters receive their ballots and return them.

Most states allow any registered voter to request and return an absentee ballot. This is also called voting by mail, or sometimes voting by mail. Depending on the state, voters can return their ballot by mail, at a drop box, and/or at an office or facility that accepts absentee ballots.

In 14 states, voters must have an excuse to vote by mail, which can range from illness to age, work schedule or a voter being out of his or her home county on Election Day.

States process and count ballots at different times. Some states don't begin counting ballots until election night, delaying the release of results.

Voting begins September 6 in North Carolina, with seven other key states starting that month

This list of early voting dates is provided for informational purposes only. For complete and up-to-date information on voter eligibility, processes, and deadlines, visit Vote.gov and your state's elections website.

The first voters to receive mail-in ballots will be those in North Carolina, which will begin mailing ballots to eligible voters on September 6.

Seven other key states open early voting the same month, including Pennsylvania, Georgia, Wisconsin, Michigan and Nevada.

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The first voters cast their ballots in Ferndale, Michigan. (Nic Antaya/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

September Deadlines

Early in-person voting in bold.

September 6th

• North Carolina – Mail-in ballots are being sent to voters

September 16

• Pennsylvania – Mail-in ballots sent to voters

September 17

• Georgia – Mail-in ballots sent to military and overseas

September 19

• Wisconsin – Mail-in ballots sent out

September 20

• Arkansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Utah, Wyoming – Mail-in ballots sent to military and overseas
• Minnesota, South Dakota – In-Person Mail-In Voting Begins
• Virginia – Early in-person voting begins
• Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia – Mail-in ballots being cast

September 21

• Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon, South Carolina, Washington – Mail-in ballots sent to military and overseas
• Indiana, New Mexico – Mail-in ballots being cast
• Maryland, New Jersey – Mail-in Ballots Being Sent

September 23

• Mississippi – In-person mail-in voting begins & mail-in ballots sent
• Oregon, Vermont – Mail-in ballots sent out

September 26

• Illinois – Early in-person voting begins
• Michigan – Mail-in ballots sent out
• Florida, Nevada – Mail-in ballots being sent
• North Dakota – Mail-in and Proxy Ballots Cast

September 30

• Nebraska – Mail-in ballots sent out

October Deadlines

October 4th

• Connecticut – Mail-in ballots sent out

October 6

• Michigan – Early in-person voting begins
• Maine – In-person mail-in voting begins and mail-in ballots sent
• California – In-person mail-in voting begins & mail-in ballots sent
• Montana – In-person mail-in voting begins
• Nebraska – Early in-person voting begins
• Georgia – Mail-in ballots sent out
• Massachusetts – Mail-in ballots sent out

October 8

• California – Ballots Open for Casting
• New Mexico, Ohio – In-Person Mail-In Voting Begins
• Indiana – Early in-person voting begins
• Wyoming – In-person mail-in voting begins & mail-in ballots sent

October 9

• Arizona – Early in-person voting begins and mail-in ballots sent

October 11

• Colorado – Mail-in ballots sent out
• Arkansas, Alaska – Mail-in ballots being cast

October 15

• Georgia – Early in-person voting begins
• Utah – Mail-in ballots sent out

October 16

• Rhode Island, Kansas, Tennessee – Early in-person voting begins
• Iowa – In-person mail-in voting begins
• Oregon, Nevada – Mail-in ballots sent out

October 17

• North Carolina – Early In-Person Voting Begins

October 18

• Washington, Louisiana – Early In-Person Voting Begins
• Hawaii – Mail-in ballots sent out

October 19

• Nevada, Massachusetts – Early In-Person Voting Begins
• Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Idaho, North Dakota, South Carolina, Texas – Early in-person voting begins
• Colorado – Ballots Open for Casting

October 22

• Hawaii, Utah – Early In-Person Voting Begins
• Missouri, Wisconsin – In-person mail-in voting begins

October 23

• West Virginia – Early In-Person Voting Begins

October 24

• Maryland – Early in-person voting begins

October 25

• Delaware – Early in-person voting begins

October 26

• Michigan, Florida, New Jersey, New York – Early in-person voting begins

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October 30

• Oklahoma – Early in-person voting begins

October 31

• Kentucky – In-person mail-in voting begins