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Here are the states that begin early voting for midterm elections in September

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Chase, M. (2026, September 17). Here are the states that begin early voting for midterm elections in September. Washington Examiner. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/congressional/4732384/states-september-early-voting-midterm-elections/

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Washington Examiner · collected 2026-09-17 · by Mackenzie Chase

Quick Summary

Four states begin early voting for the midterm elections before October, starting as early as September 18 in Virginia, South Dakota, and Minnesota. In Virginia, particular attention is given to House races where Democrats could gain seats; incumbent Rep. Jen Kiggans faces a close contest with Democratic challenger Elaine Luria in the 2nd District. Illinois begins its early voting period on September 24. Each state has different rules for voter registration deadlines and availability of absentee or in-person early voting options.
Written by AI on 2026-09-18, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

In-person early voting for the 2026 US midterm elections began on September 18 in several states, with Virginia, South Dakota, and Minnesota leading the way. In Virginia, voters can cast ballots until October 31, potentially influencing key House races where Democrats could gain seats in the 1st and 2nd congressional districts. South Dakota allows absentee voting starting from September 18, while Minnesota permits early voting on October 16. Illinois follows with early voting beginning on September 24 through November 2. These early voting periods reflect a trend of expanding pre-election ballot options across the US over the past two decades, though eligibility and procedures vary significantly by state. Despite election administrators' assurances about accuracy and security, concerns remain regarding attempts to reshape voting methods and challenges against certain voting practices.

Written for “Early Voting Begins Midterm Elections” on 2026-11-02, grounded in this article and the 2 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Early Voting Begins Midterm Elections
Politics · 3 article(s) covering the same event. Compare every outlet's account →

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 8% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
Early in-person voting begins in the 2026 US midterm elections in Virginia Same event
Al Jazeera
⚖️ Leans left Hedges 0 of 18 claims Outlet record 60/100
Early voting begins in U.S. midterm elections that could flip control of Congress Different event
The Hindu
⚖️ Leans left Hedges 2 of 24 claims Outlet record 60/100
“Article A lists which states begin early voting on September 18th, while Article B discusses the broader start of in-person early voting for midterms across the U.S., with additional commentary about election security and politics.”
Early voting begins in US midterm elections that could flip control of Congress Different event
Toronto Star
⚖️ Leans left Hedges 0 of 3 claims Outlet record 64/100
“Article A lists several states starting early voting in September but does not specify Virginia as the primary focus, while Article B focuses on early voting beginning specifically in Henrico, Virginia.”
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
12
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
8%
1 of 12 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
70/100
Washington Examiner's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
3
Politics
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-09-18 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

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Who wrote this

Mackenzie Chase
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All 70 articles by Mackenzie Chase →

Topics

House Illinois Minnesota South Dakota Virginia

Subjects

Illinois ORG · 3× Minnesota GPE · 3× South Dakota GPE · 3× Virginia GPE · 3× Democratic NORP · 1× Democrats NORP · 1× House ORG · 1× InsideElections ORG · 1× Jen Kiggans PERSON · 1× Republican NORP · 1×

Narrative

Virginia - Deadline to register to vote/update registration: Oct. 23 - Early in-person voting: Sept. 18 through Oct. 31 - Deadline to apply for ballot to be mailed: Oct. 23 South Dakota - General election date: Nov. 3 - Voter registration deadline: Oct. 19 - Absentee voting begins: Sept. 18 South Dakota uses “in-person absentee voting” instead of early voting. Minnesota - Ballots available for in-person voting: Sept. 18 - Start of early voting: Oct. 16 - Last day to vote early in person: Nov. 2 Illinois - Early voting: Sept. 24 through Nov. 2 - Deadline to register: Illinois offers a grace period to register based on county. - General election: Nov. 3
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-18
🔮 Democrats could pick up two seats in the 1st and 2nd congressional districts.
2026-09-18 · Washington Examiner
Here are the states that begin early voting for midterm elections in September · assertive framing

Claims (12 extracted, 1 hedged)

The midterm elections are less than two months away on Tuesday, Nov. 3, but in some states, early voting begins in September. asserted
voting → begin → September
Three states begin early voting on Friday, with one more starting later in the month. asserted
one → begin → month
Virginia, South Dakota, and Minnesota allow voters to begin casting ballots for the 2026 midterm elections on Sept. 18. asserted
voters → allow → Sept.
Meanwhile, early voting in Illinois begins 40 days ahead of the election, on Sept. 24. asserted
voting → begin → Sept.
Of the states with early voting in September, Virginia has sparked the most national interest in House races. asserted
Virginia → spark → races
Democrats could pick up two seats in the 1st and 2nd congressional districts. uncertain
Democrats → pick → districts
While the 1st District is still leaning Republican, analysis from InsideElections has labeled the 2nd District a toss-up. asserted
analysis → lean → District
Incumbent Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA), who is running for reelection in the 2nd District, is neck and neck in her rematch with Democratic challenger Elaine Luria. asserted
who → run → Luria
Minnesota offers in-person absentee voting and early voting beginning on Oct. 16. asserted
Minnesota → offer → Oct.
For in-person absentees, ballots are counted at a later date and require the voter to complete an application form before casting their ballot. asserted
ballots → count → ballot
Here are some dates to know for affected states: asserted
dates → know → states
Virginia - Deadline to register to vote/update registration: Oct. 23 - Early in-person voting: Sept. 18 through Oct. 31 - Deadline to apply for ballot to be mailed: Oct. 23 South Dakota - General election date: Nov. 3 - Voter registration deadline: Oct. 19 - Absentee voting begins: Sept. 18 South Dakota uses “in-person absentee voting” instead of early voting. Minnesota - Ballots available for in-person voting: Sept. 18 - Start of early voting: Oct. 16 - Last day to vote early in person: Nov. 2 Illinois - Early voting: Sept. 24 through Nov. 2 - Deadline to register: Illinois offers a grace period to register based on county. - General election: Nov. 3 asserted
Illinois → register → county
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