The 2024 U.S. election season will see millions of Americans cast their votes for president, other offices and ballot measures by mail or by delivering them to a local drop box or polling location. Some states allow election officials to begin processing those advance ballots before Election Day. In other states, election officials have to wait until close to or on Nov. 5.
Anyone can vote by mail in 36 states, according to a CNN analysis of election rules, while voters need an excuse to vote by mail in the remaining states, such as that they will be outside of their home county on Election Day. Most states will have mailed ballots to eligible voters by mid-September to early October.
The timeline below shows when state election officials can start processing ballots, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Processing isn’t the same as counting, but it’s important, often time-consuming work. Processing includes sorting ballots into voting districts, verifying signatures and comparing identification documents to other state records where required, such as in Georgia.
States that get their advance ballots ready sooner will be able to count those votes and report results faster come Election Day. Connecticut, Kansas, Ohio, Utah and Washington, D.C. allow processing before Election Day but don’t specify exact timing, so they’re not included here.
Sharing this information can help your audiences understand that the democratic process might be slow, but that doesn’t mean it’s not working. It can also give a sense for whether final results will be available shortly after Election Day, especially in states where a relatively large share of voters cast their ballots by mail. Copy this code to embed the timeline.
Click the arrow or scroll the timeline to begin.
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