Early In-Person Voting Begins Across Massachusetts, Minnesota and Virginia
Voters in Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Virginia began casting early in-person ballots on October 17 ahead of the November 3 elections.
Early in-person voting began on October 17 across several U.S. states to reduce Election Day congestion. In Massachusetts, William Francis Galvin, the Secretary of the Commonwealth, launched the period with a kickoff event at Wellesley Town Hall. The state election on November 3 includes a lengthy ballot with nine statewide questions and races for Governor and U.S. Senator. While in-person voting continues through October 30, the Secretary's office reports that over one million mail-in ballots have been sent, with more than 170,000 already returned.
Similar activity is occurring in Minnesota, where voters in Blue Earth and Crow Wing counties are using designated locations and college pop-up sites. Minnesota officials report that roughly half of all votes are now cast before Election Day, and the state has begun processing over 200,000 early absentee ballots.
In Virginia, early voting now includes mandated Sunday hours at registrar offices, a requirement established by the Virginia General Assembly. This expanded window remains open through Halloween. In Hanover County, officials report turnout exceeding that of a previous special election in April, while the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy is assisting church congregations through its Souls to the Polls initiative.
