Many Americans yearn for a simple, one-day election. For now, though, national elections are sprawling, weeks-long “election seasons” that differ significantly from place to place.
Voting in America’s major battleground states is varied and, in some cases, controversial. All seven allow for “no-excuse” absentee or mail-in voting, meaning any registered voter can vote by mail (without needing an excuse such as disability or unavailability). Virtually all permit drop boxes.
Less controversially, under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA), ballots are often sent to military and overseas voters weeks earlier than other voters.
In-person early voting will start throughout most battlegrounds by mid to late October….