One of those states is solidly red, but the other two are edging closer to being competitive.
Summer isnât over, but Americaâs âelection seasonâ is already well underway. In fact, some people are now casting votes in person for the general election.
In-person early or absentee voting for the Nov. 5 general election starts Sept. 20 in Virginia, South Dakota, and Minnesota.
Other satellite locations for early voting are listed on the stateâs election website. Some will not open until a few weeks after Sept. 20.
Voters need not provide an excuse to participate in that month-and-a-half-long early voting period in Virginia. Thatâs thanks to legislation that took effect in 2020 alongside a raft of other bills expanding absentee voting in the stateâfor example, a law permitting absentee ballots postmarked on Election Day to be accepted up to three days later.
The Virginia State Capitol in Richmond. Krzysztof Golik/CC BY-SA 4.0
Minnesota has a similar system for in-person absentee voting, which also starts Sept. 20. Under state law, absentee in-person voting must continue until the Saturday before Election Day, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m., and the day before Election Day, when locations must stay open until 5 p.m. A list of those locations can be found here.
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The 46-day timeline was established during the stateâs 2010 legislative session, lengthening a 30-day timeline. Minnesota too has expanded absentee voting over the years along with other aspects of voting. Laws that took effect in June 2024 created a permanent absentee voter list and allow college students residing in the state to register with a student housing list and any form of photo identification, not just a school ID.
South Dakotaâs absentee voting also starts on Sept. 20, 46 days ahead of Election Day.
âRegistered voters can vote in person once absentee voting begins at their County Auditorâs office by bringing along a valid photo identification card (ID),â South Dakotaâs Secretary of State website informs residents. South Dakota law authorizes in-person absentee ballot delivery.
Borderline Battlegrounds
South Dakota, like its northern neighbor, is a solidly red state.
But Virginia and Minnesota, though more blue than red, may have edged closer to being competitive this cycle.
During the GOPâs national convention in Milwaukee in July, President Joe Biden was still the Democratic candidate.
In her speech at the Fiserv Forum, Republican National Committee co-Chair Lara Trump described her father-in-lawâs opponent as âvulnerableâ in Virginia, Minnesota, and several other states that Democrats typically win.
Republican National Committee (RNC) co-Chair Lara Trump speaks at the 2024 CAGOP convention in Burlingame, Calif., on May 18. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times
Trump now faces Vice President Kamala Harris instead of Biden.
Harrisâs running mate is Tim Walz, the governor of Minnesota, whom she named during the Democratsâ convention in late August.
Yet in recent weeks, Harrisâs lead over Trump in Minnesota polling has narrowed, dwindling from more than 9 points to under 7 points according to FiveThirtyEightâs average.
A September survey of more than 1600 likely voters from MinnPost showed her with just a five-point lead in the state. A Democrat hasnât lost Minnesota since 1972, when incumbent President Richard Nixon edged out George McGovern, then the senator from nearby South Dakota.
A Senate race in the state pits incumbent Sen. Amy Klobuchar against former basketball player Royce White.
(Left) Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris answers questions during a moderated conversation with members of the National Association of Black Journalists in Philadelphia on Sept. 17, 2024. (Right) Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump holds a campaign event in Flint, Mich., on Sept. 17, 2024. Win McNamee, Scott Olson/Getty Images
Harrisâs lead is a little more comfortable in Virginia, at 7.6 points according to FiveThirtyEightâs average.
Virginiaâs Republican candidate for Senate, former U.S. Navy officer Hung Cao, has generally trailed incumbent Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) in the state by 10 or more points in polling since July.
