Surprise! The midterms are already happening

You may not realize it, but Americans are already voting in the 2026 midterm elections.

Four states have already opened in-person voting. Within two weeks, at least 12 states will begin welcoming early and mail-in votes.

‘The 2026 election begins now.’

Virginia, Minnesota, and South Dakota opened their ballot boxes statewide on Friday. Vermont law states that all ballots must be mailed by Oct. 1, and the process begins by Sept. 21. Illinois is rolling out on Thursday, but only in particular polling places.

By Oct. 7, many more will be joining them.

Maine, Nebraska, Indiana, New Mexico, Ohio, Wyoming, and Arizona open their early voting periods between Oct. 4 and 7.

There are two fundamental categories of pre-Election Day ballot-casting: true early voting and in-person absentee voting.

In true early voting states, voters deposit an anonymous ballot directly into a tabulator or sealed box. This is how votes are received by polling places on Election Day. Voters’ names are recorded in poll books to thwart attempts at double voting.

RELATED: Deadlines are fast approaching on Trump’s mail-in ballot initiatives as election season begins

Mehmet Eser/Anadolu/Getty Images

Under the alternative in-person absentee voting model, voters fill out a mail ballot at the polling place, seal it in a named envelope, and hand it over to the clerk. That envelope is later cured, accepted, or rejected.

The curing process allows voters to fix envelope defects, such as mismatched signatures compared to voter registration files, absent ID numbers, and so on. If the incongruities are not amended by a given deadline, the ballot is discarded.

Despite their misgivings, conservative groups are embracing the early voting period to mobilize their base and win over new voters.

“2024 taught us that we no longer have Election Day in America,” Citizens Alliance CEO Cliff Maloney told Blaze News. “It’s not election weekend, election week, or even election month. Now the standard is ‘election season.'”

“Vote-by-mail ballots are now out in many battleground states,” Maloney continued. “Citizens Alliance is competing toe to toe with the Democrats to make sure that every single Republican ballot is returned. The 2026 election begins now.”

Democratic state parties treat the early voting period as a time to maximize their base’s turnout. From early-vote weekends to ballot-chasing, Democrats gather as many votes as possible before Election Day.

“Vote early in person,” DNC Vice Chair Jane Kleeb told NBC News. “Go to your county election office and vote early in person.”

Earlier in 2026, the Trump administration sought to secure mail-in and early voting systems across the country after supporters became concerned noncitizens were voting.

President Donald Trump issued an executive order in March directing the United States Postal Service to impose new restrictions on mail-in ballots. The order also instructed the Department of Homeland Security to compile state voter data, including citizenship status.

“The cheating on mail-in voting is legendary. It’s horrible what’s gone on. It’s very clearly covered. … I think this will help a lot with elections,” Trump said when signing the order.

Obama-appointed U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani blocked key portions of that order from taking effect, and a lengthy legal battle ensued. The Supreme Court declined to lift her injunction on Sept. 14, citing timeline concerns.

Despite those obstacles, Maloney believes it is incumbent upon conservatives to vociferously engage in get-out-the-vote efforts during the early voting period.

“At Citizens Alliance, our motto is ‘doors win wars,’ and we’re using that tactic right now to create real impact,” Maloney told Blaze News. “We must beat the Democrats at their own game and fight fire with fire to win.”

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