Arizona opens early voting as one Ohio county sees 30% jump
Arizona opens early voting and mails ballots Wednesday, a day after in-person early voting began in Ohio and New Mexico. One Ohio county saw 30% more first-day voters than four years ago. Election Day is Nov. 3, with all 435 House seats and 33 Senate seats on the ballot.
Early voting for the Nov. 3 midterm elections is spreading to more states this week.
In Arizona, early voting begins Wednesday, and counties start mailing early ballots, according to the Arizona Secretary of State. The deadline to register for the general election was Monday at 11:59 p.m. Voters who mail their ballots back do not need a stamp, and they can track their ballot at my.arizona.vote.
In Ohio, early in-person voting opened Tuesday at county boards of elections. In Mahoning County, 800 people voted on the first day, a 30% increase from the last governor's race four years ago, WKBN reports. "I think this year, compared to four years ago, I think the races are perceived to be closer," county elections director Tom McCabe said. "There's a lot more money being spent."
New Mexico also began early in-person voting Tuesday at county clerks' offices, the Albuquerque Journal reports. Clerks started mailing absentee ballots to more than 62,000 voters on the state's permanent absentee list. More early voting sites open Oct. 17, and early voting ends Oct. 31. All statewide offices are on the ballot there, including an open race for governor. Bernalillo County Clerk Michelle Kavanaugh said she expects turnout to be up.
New Mexico officials are also preparing for possible problems. A new state law makes it a crime to send troops to a polling place or block registered voters, and poll workers have been trained to handle voter intimidation, the Journal reports.
Most states offer some form of early voting. Forty-seven states and Washington, D.C., do, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, USA Today reports. Alabama, Mississippi and New Hampshire do not. Rules and dates differ by state, so voters should check with their state or county election office.
All 435 House seats and 33 Senate seats are on the ballot this fall, along with many races for governor.
What we know: Early voting is now open in Arizona, Ohio and New Mexico.
What we don't: Whether strong first-day turnout will last through Election Day.
Where outlets agree WKBN and the Albuquerque Journal both report that early in-person voting opened Tuesday in their states, with local officials expecting higher turnout than four years ago.
Where they differ Officials report strong early turnout, but it is not yet clear whether that reflects more total voters or just people voting earlier.