Early in-person voting begins in the 2026 US midterm elections in Virginia

Virginia opened in-person early voting for the 2026 midterm elections on Friday, becoming one of the earliest jurisdictions to allow voters to cast ballots ahead of the November 3 general election. The state this year expanded weekend early voting and eliminated the previous requirement for an absentee ballot witness. Officials in Virginia also set a deadline allowing mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day to be accepted up to noon three days after November 3. The start of early in-person voting in Virginia is part of a broader, multi-decade shift toward pre–Election Day voting across the United States. According to the reporting, the number of states providing some form of early voting rose from 24 in 2000 to 47 in 2026, plus the District of Columbia, though specific early-voting windows, eligibility rules and procedures continue to differ by state. Other states are also moving into early voting periods: some permit in-person absentee ballots at local election offices or voting centers, and North Carolina began mailing requested absentee ballots on September 4. Officials and voting advocates say these options are increasingly central to how Americans participate in federal and state contests, including races that will determine which party controls the House and Senate for the remainder of President Donald Trump’s term. The role of mail voting remains a focal point this year amid multiple legal disputes. The Supreme Court in June affirmed that federal law does not supersede state rules allowing certain postmarked absentee ballots to arrive after Election Day, and a separate recent ruling blocked a Trump administration effort to impose new federal mail-voting restrictions. The Postal Service has advised voters who plan to return ballots by mail to send them early to avoid delays.