Planning Your 2026 Activation

If you wait until the last minute to vote, unexpected problems can get in the way of casting your ballot. But when you vote early, you give yourself more flexibility and peace of mind. It helps you avoid long lines, confusion around election rules, misinformation, or any last-minute issue that could keep your voice from being heard.

During the 2020 election, millions of people chose to vote early — and it made a huge difference. More than 100 million Americans cast their ballots before Election Day, breaking records across the country. Since then, more and more people have continued voting early every election. In 2026, we have another chance to keep that momentum going and remind people that Election Day should be the last day to vote, not the only one.

There are different ways to vote before Election Day. You can vote by mail, drop off your ballot at a secure drop box or election office, or vote in person during early voting. Check our online voter tool to see what early voting options are available in your community.

Even if your state doesn’t offer early voting, you can still prepare ahead of time by finding your polling place and making a plan to vote on Election Day. In states without early voting, communities can still come together by helping friends, family, and neighbors make a plan for how and when they’ll cast their ballot.

Vote Early Day is on October 27, 2026. It takes place on the Tuesday before Halloween, right when people across the country are really starting to tune into the election and learn about their options to vote early.

How you celebrate is totally up to you! Just like there are unique ways to celebrate Halloween or the Fourth of July, the same goes to celebrate Vote Early Day. Help Americans cast their ballots early in the way that best fits your community, your mission, and celebrating style. Check out the suggested Vote Early Day celebrations in the toolkit above for inspiration.

Vote Early Day activations are all the different ways partners across the country celebrate and promote early voting. Community groups, local organizations, and even media companies put together their own events, campaigns, and outreach as part of this national effort.

Studies have shown that the actions below are the most effective ways we can get voters to cast their ballot, so we encourage you to integrate one or two of these actions into your celebration: 

• Voters cast their ballot early at your Vote Early Day celebration (either in person or with a ballot drop box)

• Voters make a plan to vote early (this can be accomplished by filling out a Vote Early Day plan to vote card or using our online voter tool)

• Voters pledge to vote early (this can be accomplished by filling out a Vote Early Day pledge card or using our online voter tool)

• Voters request their absentee ballot (depending on the state, this can be accomplished with a paper form or through your election official’s website)

• Voters post a photo on social media with their “I voted” sticker and tag #VoteEarlyDay to encourage others to vote early as well

The Vote Early Day toolkit is your one-stop shop for building your celebration! We provide you with all the plug-and-play materials you need for a successful Vote Early Day celebration, from planning guides to email templates to social media graphics. We’ve tailored the resources to fit the needs of different kinds of organizations: nonprofits, campuses, governments, businesses, and individuals.

Every organization that signs up to be a Vote Early Day partner and shares their plan with our team will have free access to our print-at-home swag, where you can download materials like signage, postcards, banners, and social media graphics.

Businesses, nonprofits, government offices, campus groups, and other organizations can sign up and organize a Vote Early Day celebration that fits your organization and community! If you’re an individual looking to get involved, check out our suggestions for individual activations.

The Civic Holidays (Vote Early Day and our friends at National Voter Registration Day, National Voter Education Week, and Election Hero Day) were created to bring together a wide range of organizations and communities in pursuit of an America where everyone participates and votes. These four holidays provide a celebratory moment to guide voters through registering to vote, getting educated about what is on their ballot, casting their ballot, and thanking the election officials who make our democracy possible. You can learn more about the Civic Holidays here.