"I think that the people who are motivated to vote and already have made up their minds are going to get out there early and vote," said Feehery, who previously served as press secretary for former Republican House Speaker Dennis Hastert. A city may elect its mayor. Fleischer said the Democratic National Convention left an opening for Trump to build his case on public safety at the RNC. "If you're sitting in this position where you're not seen as ahead in the polls, you've really got to get to these voters to find ways to get the enthusiasm up and get them voting on your side.". Congressional elections take place every two years. Deadline to apply for mail/absentee ballot in Arizona, Idaho, Nebraska (ballot by mail), New Jersey, Virginia (ballot by mail), Texas and Utah. State and local races happen every year. See why his campaign is still worried. And while Democrats still outnumber Republicans in the state by about 134,000 registered voters, their lead has dropped significantly in recent years. Whitmer, Biden leads Electoral College projection poll. Voters can return them as soon as they arrive, likely making the Tar Heel State the first to vote. In Wisconsin, early voting begins on Tuesday. “In many states, more than half of voters will cast their votes well before Election Day and we have adjusted our strategy to reflect that. Biden leads Florida by 5 percentage points, according to the Real Clear Politics average of polls, Pennsylvania by 5.7 points, Minnesota by 5.3 points, Michigan by 6.7 points and New Hampshire by 9.3 points. Election Day is still 16 days away and more than 27 million ballots have already been cast, according to a survey of election officials by CNN, Edison Research, and Catalist. "The question is, with COVID and with the economy, can it happen quick enough so that he can make a comeback?". The congressional elections in November 2018 were "midterms.". Deadline to apply for mail/absentee ballot in Maryland, Nevada and New Mexico. In 2016, the breakdown was 64.2% White, 15.7% Hispanic and 13.4% Black. But few states are planning that in November. ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Nevada opened early in-person voting on Saturday with more than 17,800 voters casting their ballots in Clark County, which houses Las Vegas. There are 100 U.S. senators, two from each state. "I have no question about that. See a list of city mayoral elections in 2020. In a race during a pandemic  – with few memorable on-the-trail moments as Biden campaigns out of his home in Delaware – the debates will take on even more importance. "I don't think the clock is the issue as much as the gap. "People tend to think of this election season as Nov. 3, but there is this space right after the conventions in several states where people are going to be casting (ballots) and making a decision," said Amy Dacey, former CEO of the Democratic National Committee who is now executive director at American University's Sine Institute of Policy and Politics. If after the Republican convention is over, if the president is trailing by as much as he is now, it's a singular sign of major problems.". "With COVID and the increase in ballot requests, we're trying to move that date up to make it as early as we can do it," said David Scanlan, deputy secretary of state of New Hampshire, who anticipates printing and mailing absentee ballots to New Hampshire voters on Sept 19. He needs to narrow the gap," Fleischer said. Do You Have to Vote for the Party You're Registered With? Trump has narrowed the gap in national polling slightly over the past month, with Biden now leading by 7.6% percentage points, according to the Real Clear Politics, down from 8.7 percentage points on July 22. The number of representatives a state has depends on its population. Official websites use .gov See a map with the 11 states and two territories holding elections for governor in 2020. In 2016, that gap was more than 327,000 and in 2012, it was more than 535,000. Still the commission, in a letter rejecting the Trump campaign's request also acknowledged "more people will likely vote by mail in 2020.". Check with your state or local election office or the U.S. Vote Foundation for elections coming up in your area. "And then there is time.". A link has been sent to your friend's email address. Trump previewed more of the messaging during remarks at Scranton, Pa., on Thursday, arguing that voting for Biden would lead to national ruin and chaos. State and presidential primary dates for 2020 are listed by state and date. Postal Service cost-cutting measures put in place by Trump's postmaster general, Democrats have waged a concerted push to get their voters to return their mail ballots as soon as they can. ", More: Donald Trump tops Joe Biden in July fundraising by $25M, but cash-on-hand advantage erased. Here's the full rundown of where voting expands across the country in the coming days, plus some deadlines: Early voting begins in Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho and North Dakota. That's up 152% from 2016 when 578,147 ballots were cast during the same period. July 21, 2020, USAGov is the Official Guide to Government Information and Services, Government Agencies and Elected Officials, Congressional, State, and Local Elections, Find My State or Local Election Office Website, Inauguration of the President of the United States, Indian Tribes and Resources for Native Americans, Commonly Requested U.S. Laws and Regulations, How Laws Are Made and How to Research Them, Personal Legal Issues, Documents, and Family History, Who Can and Can’t Vote in U.S. That includes mailing absentee ballot applications to voters in some swing states. But Biden's lead remains statistically significant and he has maintained leads in most battleground states. © 2020 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. He added that the Biden campaign will target states that vote earliest and probably invest "heavier in the summer and fall than later on.". Historically, the debates offer the biggest opportunity for candidates to make a splash in the homestretch. "I'm more interested in their convention next week than I am of ours," David Plouffe, a former adviser for President Barack Obama, said on MSNBC this week. Deadline to apply for mail/absentee ballot in Indiana. Of the 2.4 million ballots received so far this year, 30% are from registered Republicans, 49% Democrats and 20% No Party Affiliation. Early voting allows voters to cast their ballots before Election Day. "And then, make sure our friends and families do the same. One-third of senators get elected during each midterm and each presidential election year. Municipal clerks in Michigan, another critical swing state that Trump narrowly won in 2016, must start sending absentee ballots to voters who made requests by Sept. 24. President Donald Trump seeking to take attention from his Democratic rival by going to Joe Biden's birthplace of Scranton, Pennsylvania. "In reality the election starts a lot sooner," Stepien said in a statement, referring to the countdown to the Nov. 3 election. Alarmed by U.S. Florida, which most analysts believe Trump must carry to win reelection, sends absentee ballots out between Sept. 24 and Oct. 1. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Early voting begins in Hawaii, Louisiana, Utah and Wisconsin. They also decide which political party—Democratic or Republican—will hold a majority in each chamber of Congress for the next two years. Hoping to change that, the Trump campaign requested a fourth debate for the first week of September, but the Commission on Presidential Debates this month rejected the request. State and local elections can take place in any year, at various times throughout the year. He also said if COVID-19 cases continue to drop it can "fundamentally reset the race" for the final two months. As polls continue to show Trump trailing Democratic nominee Joe Biden, the incumbent president is battling the clock in battleground states like North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Minnesota, Michigan and Pennsylvania that start sending out and accepting absentee ballots for the Nov. 3 election in September. Ballot initiatives may be up for a vote. North Carolina, a state Trump won in 2016 by nearly 4 points, is a dead heat, with polls showing Trump ahead by less than 1 percentage point. The three televised presidential debates between Biden and Trump are set for Sept. 29, Oct. 15 and Oct. 29. It comes after Democrats used their convention to frame the election as a referendum on Trump, who they argued not only failed to handle the coronavirus and economic crises, but threatens democracy itself. But Democrats are skeptical Trump will be able to reach beyond his base to target voters who have strayed to Biden – something he needs to do in a hurry.