There are 90 days until Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

But if Americans vote like they did in the last two election cycles, most of them will have already cast a ballot before the big day.

Early voting starts as early as Sept. 6 for eligible voters, with seven battleground states sending out ballots to at least some voters the same month.

It makes the next few months less a countdown to Election Day, and more the beginning of “election season.”

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States have long allowed at least some Americans to vote early, like members of the military or people with illnesses. 

In some states, almost every voter casts a ballot by mail.

Many states expanded eligibility in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic made it riskier to vote in-person.

That year, the Fox News Voter Analysis found that 71% of voters cast their ballots before Election Day, with 30% voting early in-person and 41% voting by mail.

Early voting remained popular in the midterms, with 57% of voters casting a ballot before Election Day.

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A voter fills out a ballot in Lake Orion, Michigan. (Nic Antaya/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Elections officials stress that voting early is safe and secure. Recounts, investigations and lawsuits filed after the 2020 election did not reveal evidence of widespread fraud or corruption. 

The difference between “early in-person” and “mail” or “absentee” voting.

There are a few ways to vote before Election Day.

The first is early in-person voting, where a voter casts a regular ballot in-person at a voting center before Election Day.

The second is voting by mail, where the process and eligibility varies by state.

Eight states vote mostly by mail, including California, Colorado, Nevada and Utah. Registered voters receive ballots and send them back.

Most states allow any registered voter to request a mail ballot and send it back. This is also called mail voting, or sometimes absentee voting. Depending on the state, voters can return their ballot by mail, at a drop box, and/or at an office or facility that accepts mail ballots.

In 14 states, voters must have an excuse to vote by mail, ranging from illness, age, work hours or if a voter is out of their home county on lection day.

States process and tabulate ballots at different times. Some states don’t begin counting ballots until election night, which delays the release of results.

Voting begins on Sept. 6 in North Carolina, with seven more battleground states starting that month

This list of early voting dates is for guidance only. For comprehensive and up-to-date information on voter eligibility, processes, and deadlines, go to Vote.gov and your state’s elections website.

The first voters to be sent absentee ballots will be in North Carolina, which begins mailing out ballots for eligible voters on Sept. 6.

Seven more battleground states open up early voting the same month, including Pennsylvania, Georgia, Wisconsin, Michigan and Nevada.

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Early voters cast their ballots in Ferndale, Michigan. (Nic Antaya/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

September deadlines

In-person early voting in bold.

Sept. 6

• North Carolina – Absentee ballots sent to voters

Sept. 16

• Pennsylvania – Mail-in ballots sent to voters

Sept. 17

• Georgia – Absentee ballots sent to military & overseas

Sept. 19

• Wisconsin – Absentee ballots sent

Sept. 20

• Arkansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Utah, Wyoming – Absentee ballots sent to military & overseas
• Minnesota, South Dakota – In-person absentee voting begins
• Virginia – In-person early voting begins
• Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia – Absentee ballots sent

Sept. 21

• Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon, South Carolina, Washington – Absentee ballots sent to military & overseas
• Indiana, New Mexico – Absentee ballots sent
• Maryland, New Jersey – Mail-in ballots sent

Sept. 23

• Mississippi – In-person absentee voting begins & absentee ballots sent
• Oregon, Vermont – Absentee ballots sent

Sept. 26

• Illinois – In-person early voting begins 
• Michigan – Absentee ballots sent
• Florida, Nevada – Mail-in ballots sent
• North Dakota – Absentee & mail-in ballots sent

Sept. 30

• Nebraska – Mail-in ballots sent

October deadlines

Oct. 4

• Connecticut – Absentee ballots sent

Oct. 6

• Michigan – In-person early voting begins 
• Maine – In-person absentee voting begins & mail ballots sent
• California – In-person absentee voting begins & mail ballots sent
• Montana – In-person absentee voting begins
• Nebraska – In-person early voting begins 
• Georgia – Absentee ballots sent
• Massachusetts – Mail-in ballots sent

Oct. 8

• California – Ballot drop-offs open
• New Mexico, Ohio – In-person absentee voting begins
• Indiana – In-person early voting begins
• Wyoming – In-person absentee voting begins & absentee ballots sent

Oct. 9

• Arizona – In-person early voting begins & mail ballots sent

Oct. 11

• Colorado – Mail-in ballots sent
• Arkansas, Alaska – Absentee ballots sent

Oct. 15

• Georgia – In-person early voting begins
• Utah – Mail-in ballots sent

Oct. 16

• Rhode Island, Kansas, Tennessee – In-person early voting begins
• Iowa – In-person absentee voting begins
• Oregon, Nevada – Mail-in ballots sent

Oct. 17

• North Carolina – In-person early voting begins 

Oct. 18

• Washington, Louisiana – In-person early voting begins
• Hawaii – Mail-in ballots sent

Oct. 19

• Nevada, Massachusetts – In-person early voting begins 
• Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Idaho, North Dakota, South Carolina, Texas – In-person early voting begins 
• Colorado – Ballot drop-offs open

Oct. 22

• Hawaii, Utah – In-person early voting begins 
• Missouri, Wisconsin – In-person absentee voting begins

Oct. 23

• West Virginia – In-person early voting begins

Oct. 24

• Maryland – In-person early voting begins

Oct. 25

• Delaware – In-person early voting begins

Oct. 26

• Michigan, Florida, New Jersey, New York – In-person early voting begins 

Oct. 30

• Oklahoma – In-person early voting begins 

Oct. 31

• Kentucky – In-person absentee voting begins

Kudos to Vice President Kamala Harris. She didn’t do the blatantly political thing and select a popular governor from a key battleground state to be her running mate.

Instead, the Californian picked a popular governor from a blue state she was very likely to carry anyway — one who should have broad appeal in many middle America purple states.

Her choice of moderate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz doesn’t smack of a typical, predictable, ultra-safe political move. That alone seems refreshing in this overly polarized election year.

She took a risk. If Harris had selected Pennsylvania’s popular Gov. Josh Shapiro, she’d have probably locked up a vital battleground state she’ll need to win in November.

But Shapiro — like California Gov. Gavin Newsom — already is very active in his support of Biden administration policies and warning voters against the perils of a second Donald Trump presidency. And Shapiro has a very strong local following. So he may help Harris carry Pennsylvania anyway.

At a Pennsylvania campaign rally Tuesday where Harris and Walz appeared together publicly for the first time, Shapiro promised that “I’m gonna be working my tail off” for the Democratic ticket. We’ll see.

Another vice presidential possibility on Harris’ shortlist — Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona — could probably have also wrapped up his battleground state for the Democratic ticket. And Kelly has a great resume: fighter pilot, astronaut, gun control advocate and all-around solid guy.

But Walz is a better, more natural communicator — virtually unexcelled, as he demonstrated to a national TV audience Tuesday.

It was the plainspoken Walz, after all, who came up with arguably this election cycle’s most effective adjective — a potential game-changer — calling Trump and his running mate JD Vance simply “weird.”

“Weird” is easily understandable and, in Trump’s case, practically undeniable — as opposed to years of Democrats labeling the former president a “threat to democracy,” an abstract notion that needs too much explanation. “Weird” has much more immediate sting.

Such a wordsmith who doesn’t need pollsters and focus groups to tell him what to say is priceless.

Referring to Trump and Vance at the rally, Walz told the cheering arena audience: “These guys are creepy and, yes, just weird as hell.”

As for Trump’s running mate, Walz said — like he really meant it — ”I can’t wait to debate the guy.”

Harris reportedly was attracted to the 60-year-old, balding governor’s “authenticity” — presumably his down-home, folksy manner that constantly emits sincerity. A regular dude. And Americans — let’s hope — are ready for normality.

He helped coach a small high school’s football team to a state championship and taught social studies. He spent 24 years in the Army National Guard, rising to the unlisted rank of sergeant major. The Democrat was elected to Congress from a purple district that historically went Republican. And he spent 12 years in the House working both sides of the aisle.

“I learned the art of compromise without compromising my values,” he said at the rally.

We need more elected officials like that who can get things done.

He’s a crack rifle shot and a hunter — but strongly supports gun control. “In Minnesota, we believe in the 2nd Amendment,” he said. “But we also believe in commonsense gun laws.”

Harris also reportedly was impressed with Walz’ “happy go lucky” demeanor. He’s positive and upbeat — not habitually negative and spewing hate like Trump and now Vance. Voters may be ripe for humor and smiles.

He thanked Harris for “bringing back the joy” to presidential campaigning.

All this aside, Harris did seemingly follow her unfortunate California pattern as state attorney general in one regard: By not picking Shapiro, she dodged a confrontation with a major labor group — in this case, public school teachers.

Shapiro supports school vouchers — public money to help students attend private schools — which is anathema to teachers unions.

But Harris was right on this one: The nation’s leading Democrat can’t be suspected of favoring so-called school choice — spending tax money on private classrooms.

By passing over Shapiro, Harris also didn’t risk alienating pro-Palestinian voters — particularly in battleground Michigan — by teaming with a Jewish running mate who has strongly supported Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.

So Harris was a bit risk-averse in her selection of Walz. But that’s savvy politics.

In tapping Walz, Harris also seemed to be making a play for the white old guy vote — trying to put the species at ease. Inclusion. Smart.

The first Black and Asian American female vice president already has awakened young voters and people of color.

Trump must be nervously squirming.

The GOP nominee immediately called Walz “a dangerously liberal extremist.”

But Walz with his broad smile, rural roots and common-man demeanor doesn’t look or sound dangerous. He seems to be out of an old Norman Rockwell painting. The evidence points to his extreme competence — as an officeholder and a campaigner.

As one who has been critical of Harris on previous occasions, I say that this time she deserves congratulations for making an outstanding move.