By Lisa Hagen - 08/16/16 06:57 PM EDT
Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are entering the final stretch of the presidential race, but voters in several battleground states will head to the polls earlier, sometimes more than a month prior to the November election.
While the Election Day is 83 days away, Trump has a smaller window to reroute his campaign and court more voters as battleground state polls show Clinton leading and he continues to come under fire for controversial remarks.
Here’s a list of early-voting and absentee ballot dates in key battleground states:
Florida:
Early-voting begins on Oct. 29 in this critical swing states won in the past two cycles by President Obama. It runs until Nov. 5.
Elections officials must send military and overseas ballots to voters by Sept. 24. For domestic voters, election officials must mail ballots between Oct. 4 and 11.
Both Clinton and Trump are focusing on the Sunshine State, which doles out 29 electoral votes. It’s a true toss-up state that has voted for the overall winning candidate in the last 10 elections with the exception of 1992.
Clinton has maintained a consistent lead over Trump in recent Florida poll.
Battleground states with early and absentee voting:
Ohio:
In-person early-voting begins on Oct. 12 and runs until the day before Election Day.
Mailed absentee voting also begins on Oct. 12, but military and overseas absentee voting will start on Sept. 24.
Ohio is another key swing state that Obama carried in 2008 and 2012, and the state has voted for the overall winning candidate in all 10 previous elections.
Clinton and Trump were tied last month in the Buckeye State, but recent polls show her climbing ahead by several points.
Colorado:
The Centennial State’s in-person early-voting runs from Oct. 24 until Election Day.
For absentee ballots, the first day they can be mailed to voters is on Oct. 17, which is how the majority of people from Colorado vote.
But it’s much earlier for military and those overseas. The last day they can submit mailed ballots is Sept. 24.
Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric regarding immigration could hurt him in a state like Colorado, which has a growing Latino population. So far, Clinton is leading in recent polls by double-digits.
Nevada:
Nevada is another battleground state with a large Latino population.
In-person early voting begins Oct. 22 and runs until Nov. 4. Absentee ballots can be requested by Nov. 1 the latest and must be returned by Election Day.
There’s been less polling in this state than other key ones, but Clinton holds a much slimmer lead by only a few points.
North Carolina:
North Carolina’s recent court ruling not only struck down the state’s law requiring voters to show identification at the polls, but also extended in-person early voting from 10 to 17 days.
Early voting will run from Oct. 20 until Nov. 5. But early voting by mail starts more than a month earlier, on Sept. 9.
However, Gov. Pat McCrory (R) is currently asking the Supreme Court for a stay on the 2013 election law.
North Carolina is becoming a top Democratic target as the party tries to expand the electoral map this cycle. Democrats haven’t carried since 1976, with the exception of 2008, when Obama won it by a razor-thin margin.
But Clinton’s campaign has been ramping up its spending in the Tar Heel State as well as expanding its ground operation. Her main super-PAC Priorities USA has also poured money into the state.
Trump once led narrowly in the GOP-leaning state, but a poll from last week had Clinton ahead by 9 points.
Arizona:
Arizona is a reliably red state that has been put in play this cycle due to Trump’s immigration rhetoric.
Early-voting begins on Oct. 12. The earliest date an absentee ballot can be mailed to a voter is on Sept. 20.
The state has voted for a Republican candidate in every election since 1952, with the exception of former President Bill Clinton’s win in 1996. But in a RealClearPolitics polling average, the two are essentially tied, with Trump leading by less than half a point.
Georgia:
Georgia is another traditionally Republican state that Democrats have been eyeing.
In-person early voting begins on Oct. 17 in the state that has voted Republican in the last five elections, but Bill Clinton was successful there in 1992.
Clinton’s campaign has started to expand its operation in the Peach State and the RCP polling average has them essentially in a dead heat.
Illinois:
Illinois becomes a much more Democratic state in presidential years.
The first day of early voting begins Sept. 29 and lasts until Nov. 7.
There hasn’t been recent polling in Illinois, but surveys listed in RCP have her leading handily.
Wisconsin:
Wisconsin is another Democratic-leaning state in presidential years. But the court’s recent ruling that struck down the state’s voter ID has also complicated voting in the Badger State.
Reid Magney, public information officer at the Wisconsin Elections Commission, explained that according to state law, the county clerk must deliver absentee ballots to municipal clerks at least 48 days before an election, which would be Sept. 21. He said if the ruling remains, early-voting could likely begin that month.
If the court order is overturned, in-person early voting would run from Oct. 24 until Nov. 4, but doesn’t include weekends.
A poll from last week found Clinton leading by double-digits in the Badger State, which voted for Obama in 2008 and 2012.
Battleground states with only absentee voting:
Pennsylvania:
The Keystone State doesn’t have early voting. It only has absentee voting.
The last day to apply for civilian absentee ballot is Nov. 1 and the last day the county boards of election can receive them is Nov. 4. For military and overseas absentee ballots, they can be submitted by Nov. 7 and the last day for the Board to receive them is Nov. 15.
The late dates help Trump, who is trying to court white working class voters in Rust Belt states. He says his anti-trade deal, pro-coal message resonates with these voters even in a Democratic-leaning state that has been carried by President Obama in both 2008 and 2012.
But Trump currently trails Clinton in Pennsylvania. The RCP polling average has her up about 9 points.
New Hampshire:
New Hampshire is another state that doesn’t have early voting, but has absentee ballots.
The state recommends that voters request a ballot a month prior to the election. Ballots must be received by mail by late afternoon on Election Day or received in-person one day before.
Clinton leads in an RCP average by 8 points in New Hampshire, which Obama won in both of his elections.
Virginia:
Virginia voters must request a mailed absentee ballot by Nov. 1, but can request one in-person by Nov. 5.
Before Obama's victories, no Democrat had won Virginia since 1964. But the state increasingly appears to be moving toward Democrats in presidential elections, and recent polling suggests Trump is behind Clinton by double-digits.
http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/291661-early-voting-gives-trump-less-time-to-court-voters
