Let’s Get Ready to Vote!

As I mentioned a week or so ago, we’re rapidly approaching the time that the military is able to most let our elected officials know what we think, by voting for them. This year is a really big year. Aside from the fact that it will decide who the president (and your Commander In Chief) is for the next 4 years, it will also elect 35 Senators, 435 Representatives, 11 Governors, and 278 State Level judges.

Below, I’ve compiled a chart showing the number of seats open for each state, the registration deadline, if the state allows early voting (43 states allow it), and what the rules are for absentee voting. No-excuse means that any registered voter can get an absentee ballot (34 states allow it), while Limited means that there are restrictions on who can get it. The important thing to remember is that as a member of the military, each of us qualify to vote via absentee, especially if you are stationed out of state. I will also point out that a number of states are changing their rules for 2020 due to the virus. The chart does not reflect that, but I hope to update it when we get closer and states have finalized all of their plans.

The link on each state will take you to the Ballotpedia site for that state’s elections which can give you some very detailed information about each of the candidates for all of the elections within that state. The link for each registration deadline will take you to the state’s voter registration page.

State	Senate	House	Governor	State Courts	Registration Deadline	Early Voting	Absentee Voting
Alabama	1	7		6	20-Oct-20	No	Limited
Alaska	1	1		2	4-Oct-20	Yes	No Excuse
Arizona	1	9		15	5-Oct-20	Yes	No Excuse
Arkansas	1	4		5	4-Oct-20	Yes	Limited
California		53			19-Oct-20	Yes	No Excuse
Colorado	1	7		4	3-Nov-20	Yes	Mail-In Election
Connecticut		5			3-Nov-20	No	Limited
Delaware	1	1	1		2-Nov-20	No	Limited
Florida		27		26	5-Oct-20	Yes	No Excuse
Georgia	2	14		7	6-Oct-20	Yes	No Excuse
Hawaii		2			4-Oct-20	Yes	No Excuse
Idaho	1	2		3	9-Oct-20	Yes	No Excuse
Illinois	1	18		13	18-Oct-20	Yes	No Excuse
Indiana		9	1	7	5-Oct-20	Yes	Limited
Iowa	1	4		7	24-Oct-20	Yes	No Excuse
Kansas	1	4		6	13-Oct-20	Yes	No Excuse
Kentucky	1	6		2	6-Oct-20	No	Limited
Louisiana	1	6		14	4-Oct-20	Yes	Limited
Maine	1	2			13-Oct-20	Yes	No Excuse
Maryland		8		7	3-Nov-20	Yes	No Excuse
Massachusetts	1	9			14-Oct-20	Yes	Limited
Michigan	1	14		13	3-Nov-20	Yes	No Excuse
Minnesota	1	8		5	13-Oct-20	Yes	No Excuse
Mississippi	1	4		4	4-Oct-20	No	Limited
Missouri		8	1	8	7-Oct-20	No	Limited
Montana	1	1	1	2	4-Oct-20	Yes	No Excuse
Nebraska	1	3		4	16-Oct-20	Yes	No Excuse
Nevada		4		3	4-Oct-20	Yes	No Excuse
New Hampshire	1	2	1		3-Nov-20	No	Limited
New Jersey	1	12			13-Oct-20	Yes	No Excuse
New Mexico	1	3		6	3-Nov-20	Yes	No Excuse
New York		27			4-Oct-20	Yes	Limited
North Carolina	1	13	1	8	4-Oct-20	Yes	No Excuse
North Dakota		1	1	1	3-Nov-20	Yes	No Excuse
Ohio		16		23	4-Oct-20	Yes	No Excuse
Oklahoma	1	5		9	9-Oct-20	Yes	No Excuse
Oregon	1	5		8	13-Oct-20	Yes	Mail-In Election
Pennsylvania		18			4-Oct-20	Yes	No Excuse
Rhode Island	1	2			4-Oct-20	No	Limited
South Carolina	1	7			4-Oct-20	No	Limited
South Dakota	1	1		1	19-Oct-20	Yes	No Excuse
Tennessee	1	9		1	4-Oct-20	Yes	Limited
Texas	1	36		31	4-Oct-20	Yes	Limited
Utah		4	1	7	23-Oct-20	Yes	No Excuse
Vermont		1	1		3-Nov-20	Yes	No Excuse
Virginia	1	11			12-Oct-20	Yes	No Excuse
Washington		10	1	11	3-Nov-20	Yes	Mail-In Election
Washington, DC					3-Nov-20	Yes	No Excuse
West Virginia	1	3	1	3	13-Oct-20	Yes	Limited
Wisconsin		8		4	14-Oct-20	Yes	No Excuse
Wyoming	1	1		2	19-Oct-20	Yes	No Excuse

Again, I don’t care who you vote for, as long as you vote. This year, I will be voting via mail in Maryland. I plan on making my voice heard….will you?