The 2024 presidential election—one of the most pivotal races in history—is only a week away. Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are in a tight race, according to the polls, and while you might be stressing out about the outcome, at least you can rest easy knowing your vote will be properly cast when Election Day rolls around on November 5. (In the meantime, you can also brush up on where each of the nominees stands on issues like reproductive rights, climate change, student loans, and more here.)
By now, you’ve likely already updated your voter registration, but if not, you can check those deadlines, and the final dates to request an absentee ballot by state, here. Also, early voting has already begun in most states, so if you’re hoping to cast your ballot ahead of time, head to this link to double-check those deadlines.
Ahead, we’ve broken down exactly how you can vote on Election Day, how to find your polling place, and more.
You can confirm your polling place online or via phone.
There are a few different ways to confirm your polling place, no matter where you live in the United States.
If you want to find it online, you can head to the National Association of Secretaries of State, where it will automatically direct you to your state’s board of elections site, where you can check your voter registration and find your exact polling location.
In some instances, you might be able to see a sample ballot, so you can know exactly what to expect on Election Day.
Otherwise, if you want to confirm your polling location over the phone, you can go to the USAGov website and find the contact information for your state and local elections office. Here, they will provide a contact number for you to call the office and verify your polling place.
You cannot vote anywhere besides your assigned polling place.
On Election Day, you cannot use a different polling place besides the one that your state or local election office has assigned you. If you go to the wrong polling location, you may be asked to cast a provisional ballot, which might not count in the final voting tallies. If you do end up casting a provisional ballot, make sure to collect information from the poll worker on how to follow up on your vote and see if it was counted.
If you have recently moved, you will need to update your current address on your voter registration, but in most cases, the window to do that for the 2024 presidential election has closed.
Election Day is November 5, 2024.
The 2024 presidential election will take place on Tuesday, November 5.
While most states open their polls at 7:00 a.m. local time, this varies from state to state, and you can check the hours your polling location is open here.
As long as you are in line before the polls close, you are allowed to keep your place and cast your ballot. It is illegal for anyone to prevent you from voting, and if you ever face issues (and you’ve confirmed your voter registration and polling place), then you can always call the Election Protection Hotline at (866) 687-8683.
To understand your full voting rights, check them out here.
Early voting has already begun.
Not all states offer early voting, but in those that do, early voting has mostly already begun for the 2024 presidential election.
To find out if your state offers early voting, you can check out this spreadsheet from the U.S. Vote Foundation, which breaks down each state’s early voting options and the dates on which you can cast your ballot. The spreadsheet also breaks down which states offer early in-person absentee voting. (In most cases, states offer only one or the other.)
