24SEP

Virginia and Idaho open early voting

1 min read

11:45UTC

Virginia, Minnesota, South Dakota and Idaho opened in-person early voting on 18 September, as Michigan and Wisconsin sent out postal ballots and Florida logged its first overseas returns.

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PoliticsAssessed

Key takeaway

Americans are now voting in person in four states, so rulings land on ballots already cast.

In-person early voting opened on 18 September in Virginia, Minnesota, South Dakota and Idaho, 46 days before the 3 November election⁠¹. Virginia has added two Sunday voting days for 2026, 18 and 25 October, on top of its usual Saturdays⁠².

Michigan's general-election ballots began going out on 19 September, and Wisconsin clerks had to send absentee ballots to voters with requests on file by 17 September⁠³. Those follow North Carolina's first ballots on 4 September and Georgia's first overseas ballots on 15 September.

Florida had received about 150 of nearly 200,000 overseas and military ballots by 21 September: 63 from Democrats, 39 from Republicans and 26 from unaffiliated voters⁠⁴. Its domestic mail ballots follow between 24 September and 1 October.

Every court order from here lands on votes already cast somewhere. Missouri's map fight and the suits over ICE at polling places now run against ballots in hand rather than a printing deadline.

Deep Analysis

In plain English

Voting for November's election has started in several states. In-person early voting opened on 18 September in Virginia, Minnesota, South Dakota and Idaho. Michigan began mailing out ballots on 19 September, and election clerks in Wisconsin had to get absentee ballots in the post by 17 September.

Deep Analysis

Root Causes

Each state sets its own early-voting and mail-ballot timeline in state law, so the spread of dates across Virginia, Minnesota, South Dakota, Idaho, Michigan and Wisconsin reflects six separate statutory schedules rather than any coordinated national calendar.

the Supreme Court's 2026 ruling in Watson v. RNC upheld state mail-ballot grace periods but did not standardise when ballots go out, so the underlying timing variation predates and survives that case.

Sources:Virginia Department of Elections·Center for Election Innovation and Research·Michigan Public

Mentions:Virginia →Minnesota →South Dakota →Idaho →Michigan →Wisconsin →Florida →Missouri →North Carolina →Watson v. RNC →Supreme Court of the United States →Georgia (U.S. state) →

First Reported In

Update #18 · Republicans spend first, Democrats hold cash

Virginia Department of Elections· 24 Sept 2026

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Causes and effects

Caused by

North Carolina posts the first ballots

North Carolina's first posted ballots on 4 September opened the sequence of states now voting that this batch extends.

Occurred 4 Sept 2026

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Georgia mails its first overseas ballots

Georgia's first overseas ballots on 15 September were the previous state to start voting before this batch opened.

Occurred 15 Sept 2026

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This Event

Virginia and Idaho open early voting

With ballots now being cast, every court order on maps or polling places lands on votes already in hand.

Led to

Arlington sues over armed men at polls

Virginians have voted in person since 18 September at the sites the suit covers.

Occurred 20 Oct 2026

Read story →

Different Perspectives

University of Florida Election Lab

The lab, run by Michael McDonald, estimates about 124.3 million ballots, a raw midterm record, and turnout of about 49.4% of eligible voters, second to 2018's 50.05%. The raw record reflects population growth more than a record rate, so the late count is working through a near-2018 electorate.

Thune's critics on the right, including Senator Ron Johnson

Ron Johnson backed the failed 31-15 motion to delay Thune's re-election, after activists such as Mike Cernovich blamed the leader for the defeat. Their complaint is that Republicans could have passed the SAVE Act; in January it meets a Democratic Senate instead.

Senator John Thune

Thune was re-elected Senate Republican leader by acclamation on 10 November after a motion to delay failed 31-15. He kept the filibuster that stopped the SAVE Act, the choice his critics on the right blame for the defeat.

House Republicans under Jim Jordan

House Republicans elected Jordan minority leader by 106 votes to 73 over Steve Scalise on 10 November, after Speaker Mike Johnson declined to run. They replaced the leadership that lost the majority, while Senate Republicans kept theirs.

Donald Trump

Trump asked on Truth Social on 9 November whether anybody believed the election "was honest" and blamed the machines, having told The New York Times on polling night he would accept the results. No Republican campaign had sued over a 2026 result by 10 November, so the claim has no case behind it.

Judge David O. Carter

Carter closed the Justice Department's suit over about 20,000 California mail ballots on 10 November after the department withdrew it, writing that the suit "attempted to disrupt an ongoing election". The closure leaves the department with no court order touching a 2026 California ballot.

Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Editorial standards.