Absentee and Early Voting Updates Across States

With Election Day approaching, Montana had received about 225,700 absentee ballots, roughly 43% of those sent to voters and ahead of the pace at the same point in the 2022 midterm. Wisconsin reported 513,602 returned absentee ballots, including 251,092 cast in person; a later comparison said returns were nearly 7% above the comparable point in 2022. Washington had received 1.2 million ballots, or 23.2% of registered voters, compared with 22.3% at the same point in 2022. Mississippi had received 56,049 absentee ballots, more than twice its 2022 tally but well below the 2024 presidential-election cycle; the state requires voters to qualify for absentee voting, and a U.S. Senate race is on the ballot. In Utah’s Davis County, more than 40,000 ballots had been returned, while Iowa’s Cerro Gordo County had 283 requested mail ballots outstanding; Iowa officials said ballots must arrive by 8 p.m. on Election Day to count. Washington officials urged voters to use drop boxes, and state figures reflect differing voting rules and reporting timelines rather than indicating how voters will choose.