With the general election just weeks away, election offices across the country are in the final stages of preparation and are already accepting ballots in some cases. While most states offer early or absentee voting for any reason, a few states have specific eligibility requirements. To vote absentee, individuals must request a ballot before their state’s deadline, unless they reside in one of the states that automatically mail out ballots to all voters.
The states that conduct all elections by mail include California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia. It is important to note that most states either require or request voters to present some form of identification when voting in person.
In this upcoming election cycle, Democrat Vice President Kamala Harris is seeking promotion to the role of president while former President Donald Trump hopes to secure a second term as the Republican nominee. Their running mates are Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Sen. JD Vance from Ohio.
The balance of power on Capitol Hill is also at stake with Republicans’ control over the House and Democrats’ majority in the Senate hanging by a thread. Democrats need only four seats to gain control of the House among all 435 seats up for election. One district they have their eye on is New York’s 4th Congressional District where freshman Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (Republican) defends his seat against Democrat Laura Gillen.
Another potential upset could occur in Arizona’s 1st District currently held by Republican Rep. David Schweikert who won by a thin margin in 2022 against his Democratic challenger Amish Shah.
On the other hand, Republicans aim to expand their majority by flipping Maine’s 2nd Congressional District where former NASCAR driver Austin Theriault challenges three-term Democrat Rep Jared Golden.
Pennsylvania’s 8th District is also on Republicans’ radar as Trump carried it twice and now Republican businessman Rob Bresnahan seeks to unseat Democrat Rep Matt Cartwright.
In terms of Senate races, Republicans are targeting vulnerable Democrats and independents with hopes of retaking control over this chamber as well. West Virginia’s newly independent Sen Joe Manchin will not seek reelection while Montana’s Democratic Sen Jon Tester faces strong competition from Republican Tim Sheehy according to recent polls.
Ohio’s Democratic Sen Sherrod Brown defends his seat against entrepreneur Bernie Moreno who has received Trump’s endorsement but Brown still holds an advantage according to poll averages.
Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) face challenges from Democrats in two traditionally red states while Arizona’s independent Sen Kyrsten Sinema will be replaced with either Trump ally Kari Lake or Democrat Ruben Gallego.
Other Senate battlegrounds include Michigan,Nevada,Pennsylvania,Maryland,and Wisconsin each state has different laws regarding when absentee ballots can be accepted and counted which led counting past Election Day during last year’s elections raising concerns about accuracy.The U.S Postal Service advises mailing completed ballots at least one week before Election Day ensuring votes get counted
