2024 presidential elections underway, early voting begins in the states

Voting for the 2024 presidential election has officially begun.

Local election offices in Minnesota and Virginia opened their doors for in-person early voting on Friday morning, making them the first election offices in the country to do so. In-person absentee voting is also available in South Dakota, and mail-in ballots have been available since Friday.

Mail-in voting in Alabama began last week, but the state requires a valid reason and offers no early voting option. While Donald Trump threatened early voting in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, most counties in the state were already printing ballots on Thursday after the Commonwealth's Secretary of State certified the slate of candidates on Monday.

Trump is running against Vice President Kamala Harris, who has only been running her presidential campaign for less than two months after President Joe Biden dropped out.

Now that voting has officially begun, both candidates may have fewer voters to turn to in the remaining 45 days until Election Day.

New obstacles in the election: Overview of the states where new laws make voting more difficult

Postal voting documents and ballot papers arrive across the country

In addition to Alabama and Pennsylvania, ballots will be available in other parts of the country.

After a delay due to questions about whether former third-party candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could be removed from the ballot, North Carolina will mail the first wave of ballots to military personnel and citizens living overseas starting Friday. Ballots to other mail-in voters who requested them will be mailed on Tuesday, Sept. 24.

In Wisconsin, Thursday, September 19, was the deadline for mail-in ballots to be sent to everyone who requested them, a date that has become a sticking point in Kennedy's efforts to get off the ballot.

In Vermont and New Jersey, mail-in ballots must also be redeemed by Saturday.

Voters should check with their local election office to find out when and where they can vote.

Presidential campaigns are taking place in swing states in very close races

While many Americans feared a rematch between Trump and Biden, the president's last-minute decision to drop out made the final months of the election a rollercoaster ride.

Harris' candidacy has given new momentum to the Democratic base, bringing money and support to her.

The vice president has gained ground in national polls, but pollster Nate Silver predicts an incredibly close race.

Both candidates spend a lot of time in key swing states such as Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and North Carolina, where voters are among the first to receive their ballots.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Early voting in presidential election begins 45 days before Election Day