Alabama is the first state in the union to mail absentee ballots

Alabama is the first state in the union to mail absentee ballots

Alabama is the first state in the union to mail absentee ballots, North Carolina is also about to begin mailing ballots. Voting in person is scheduled to begin in certain areas of Virginia and Pennsylvania the following week.

Absentee ballots are ready for distribution at Cobb County’s elections and registration office in Marietta, Ga.Credit…Audra Melton for The New York Times

The first general election ballots for 2024 are already being mailed.

As the first state, Alabama started mailing absentee ballots on Wednesday. The state places severe restrictions on who is permitted to vote by mail, so only a small minority of people there actually do so. Nevertheless, the delivery of those ballots represents a significant turning point because, as time goes on, more votes will be locked in and the number of voters whose opinions can be changed will decrease.

More states will soon be sending out ballots through mail, including North Carolina, a competitive state whose ballots were scheduled to be delivered last week but were postponed due to a court order mandating that Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s name be removed. That required the reprinting of millions of votes.

Also Read: Trump Says He Defeated Harris in Debate

In some states, including Pennsylvania, a crucial battleground whose start dates vary by county, and Virginia, in-person early voting will start next week.

Millions of voters are anticipated to cast ballots overall before to Election Day on November 5.

A significant portion of electors in 2020 did so as a result of the Covid epidemic. Because fewer people are concerned about COVID-19 and because several states headed by Republicans have implemented new limitations, the percentage may be lower this year.