By Onyx Bugett | TalkLife News
Published September 18, 2026
Early and absentee voting began Friday in several states, including Virginia, Idaho, Minnesota and South Dakota, moving the 2026 midterm election from campaign season into the ballot-casting stage.
The opening comes as the U.S. Postal Service has stopped work on a disputed system that would have added new processing requirements for mailed ballots. A federal court blocked the changes while litigation continues, leaving the prior procedures in place for now.
No nationwide rule change has taken effect. Voters should rely on their state or local election office—not partisan posts or viral screenshots—for registration deadlines, identification requirements, return-envelope instructions and ballot-tracking information.
The timing is significant because election administrators need stable procedures, while voters need clear instructions. Late changes or misleading claims can cause eligible ballots to be delayed or rejected even when the underlying legal dispute remains unresolved.
What is confirmed
Voting has begun in multiple states, and the Postal Service paused work on the challenged system after the injunction. The courts have not issued a final decision on the legality of the proposed national requirements.
Image credit: Ballot-box silhouette via Wikimedia Commons, dedicated to the public domain under CC0. Illustrative image.
Sources
Associated Press: Early voting begins, September 18, 2026
Associated Press: Election developments, September 18, 2026