Voting Has Started in 2026 — Here’s What You Need To Know

At long last, the 2026 midterm elections are no longer a year, month, or even days away — voting in the general election is happening right now, and ballots are arriving at households across America. The moment to send the Trump administration into the dustbin of history, and replace it with a government that works for everyone, is finally upon us.

Most importantly, early voting has opened (or will soon open) across several battleground states crucial to flipping Congress and ensuring a blue wave in November. Voters in Georgia, Maine, Minnesota, Ohio, and Texas in particular should make use of their states’ early voting resources to avoid potential Election Day interference and make sure their ballots are counted.

Despite clear laws against it, the Trump administration has not entirely ruled out the idea of deploying ICE, soldiers, or other federal agents to ‘monitor’ physical polling locations and intimidate voters on Election Day. As the DHS refuses to give reporters and lawyers a straight answer regarding its plans for November, voting rights activists are preparing for the worst.

Therefore, with the election now underway, voters should take to the polls and return their ballots as soon as possible to avoid any potential sources of last-minute chaos unleashed by the Trump administration.

Worried about Election Day Chaos? Vote early with millions of other people this weekend.

Intended as a direct counter to Republicans’ anticipated election rigging measures, No Kings organizers are launching another round of nationwide protests this Saturday, October 17, to energize early voting turnout and protect voters from any possible sources of intimidation or disruption at the polls.

Last March, in defiance of the Trump administration, No Kings led the largest single-day mass demonstration in American history with an estimated 9 million participants across every state. By taking that same energy to the polls, we could secure a blue wave weeks before the counting even starts.

And with the stakes this high, there’s truly no time to waste.

“Voting early gives us the power to make our voices heard on our own terms, before Election Day, before the last-minute chaos, and before anyone else can decide what happens next,” organizers say. “We know our communities are strongest when everyone who is eligible to vote has a plan, knows their options, and follows through.”

Click here to find an event near you

Voting by mail? Return your ballot at an official drop box location, not the mailbox.

In states that conduct their elections entirely through the mail and don’t have options for early in-person voting, election officials are urging residents to return their ballots using an official drop box as early as possible while avoiding the USPS.

Why? Since returning to office, Donald Trump has gone to extreme lengths to undermine the postal service and impose partisan-motivated restrictions on mail-in voting — despite it being his favorite method to cast his ballot.

Republicans know they’re in for a hard time this election, so instead of submitting to the will of voters, they’re trying to suppress the vote any way they can.

Thankfully, while various lawsuits have largely prevented Trump’s anti-vote-by-mail schemes from coming into full fruition — including an attempt to roll out a flawed ballot verification system that could have prevented millions of citizens from voting entirely — the full extent of the damage done behind the scenes is not yet known.

Moreover, as part of Republicans’ longstanding efforts to fully privatize the mail, the USPS has fallen victim to several belt-tightening measures ranging from hiring freezes to the closure of ‘non-essential’ offices. The reduction in services — paired with a new rule where mail doesn’t have to be postmarked on the same day that it’s received — could result in countless ballots being rejected or passed over.

In other words, ballots returned in the mail within the same week as Election Day might not get processed or postmarked in time to be counted — even if voters themselves did everything right.

Oregon, which became the first state to adopt universal vote-by-mail more than 20 years ago, became an early case study for the changes made under the current administration. In the state’s primary elections held in May, more than 7,000 ballots that might have been counted in previous elections were rejected, marking a 13% rejection rate, up from 9.5% in 2024.

Consequently, Oregon’s Secretary of State Tobias Read is encouraging voters to return their mail-in ballots at official drop box locations rather than relying on a federal agency that exists at the mercy of the Trump administration to deliver them.

“We can’t count on [USPS],” Read warned. “It might work, but I don’t want anyone to be taking a chance with their ballot.”

Likewise, in Washington State, which also exclusively votes by mail, the ballot rejection rate across rural counties more than doubled in 2026 compared to 2024.

So, if you are intent on using the mail, Washington’s Secretary of State Steve Hobbs recommends doing so at least ten days before Election Day — ensuring there is ample time for ballots to be postmarked in time.

“If you’re going to mail, you better do it right away,” he said. “Don’t wait.”

This election, our mission is clear: vote early, vote decisively, and if voting by mail, take every precaution to get your ballot across the finish line.

The blue wave is finally here — let’s make history.

Click here for more voting resources

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