Tuesday, October 28, is Vote Early Day. Scheduled for the Tuesday before Halloween, Vote Early Day occurs just as the nation as a whole fully tunes into the election and is ready to learn about their voting options.

There are a number of ways Americans can cast their ballot ahead of Election Day. People can vote early by mailing in a ballot, dropping off a ballot at an election office or drop box, or going to a local election office to cast a ballot in person. In some states, all registered voters receive a ballot by mail at least two weeks before Election Day. Due to fast changes in the law over the last several years, the vast majority of voters (94%) can now vote early in some way. In 45 states and the District of Columbia, any qualified voter may cast a ballot in person during a designated period prior to Election Day. Two additional states will provide this option in the coming years.

If people do not live in a state with options to vote early, they can still find their polling location and make a plan to vote on Election Day. We encourage partners in the states without vote early options (Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, and Alabama) to celebrate the holiday by helping their friends and neighbors make a plan for how they will cast their ballot in the upcoming election to make sure their voices are heard.

We created Vote Early Day to demystify the process of voting early and make it easier for voters to understand their options. In fact, over 220 million Americans (~80% of eligible voters) have options to vote before Election Day with no excuse needed—they may just not know it! We are working to support or build new technology tools that enable Americans to more easily look up and explore their opportunities to cast their ballot ahead of Election Day—whether that’s voting by mail or in person. Furthermore, by creating a national day of action amid a patchwork of state and local laws, we are drawing attention to a set of options that have historically been hard to market nationally.

Vote Early Day is a collaboration among media companies, nonprofits, technology platforms, election administrators, influencers, and other businesses. We leave it up to each company or organization to understand what action might be best for their brand or community.

Activations might include:

• Local Celebrations: Through parties at polling locations, community parades to locations to vote early, and “get out the vote” efforts, organizations across the country will build celebrations to attract more Americans to vote early.
• Educating and Empowering Voters: Everywhere in America, eligible voters can research their ballots and make a plan to vote. Through traditional and social media, street teaming, SMS outreach, and broadcasting online tools, we will connect with hundreds of thousands of voters to help them identify their options to vote early.
• Spreading the Word: Through mass on-air or digital marketing, media companies will give Americans the tools to vote early and point them to resources and local events where they can cast a ballot.

As a Premier Partner, you will receive:

• Consistent engagement with Vote Early Day staff and leaders;
• Promotion in all official materials through both traditional and digital channels;
• Recognition in post-Election Day report that will highlight the impact achieved through our shared efforts; and
• Dedicated support to develop joint programming and outreach materials with other organizations at the premier level

To be considered a “Premier Partner” for Vote Early Day, an organization must:

• Agree to include their name or logo in public materials (e.g. press release and website);
• Share their Vote Early Day activation plans with the Steering Committee in advance;
• Report back successes and feedback; and
• Commit to one of the following: host a flagship on-the-ground activation, mobilize a national network of at least 50 partners, reach 1 million people through social or traditional media or platform integrations, or contribute financially to this important work.

In the 2018 midterm election, 33% of voters cast their ballots early. We saw that number soar to 64% in the 2020 presidential election, and we are eager to keep this new trend of voting early strong.

With cases falling and vaccines remaining readily accessible across the country, we are excited to offer suggestions for celebrations that involve in-person gatherings. Protecting the health of all who celebrate Vote Early Day is most important to us, however, and we will continue to track the pandemic and its effects on Americans’ ability to vote early. Sign up for our email list to receive the most up to date information.