In-person early voting begins in three states

Voters began lining up at the polls Friday in Minnesota, South Dakota, and Virginia. Voters in Minnesota and South Dakota can also drop off absentee ballots and several states are required to send out their absentee ballots Friday to those who requested one. About 69 percent of registered voters in the 2020 election voted early or via absentee ballots, according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's election data science lab. That’s up from about 40 percent in 2016.

What are the key issues in each state? In the 2020 election, President Joe Biden won Minnesota by abourt 230,000 votes. If the state votes blue again and puts Gov. Tim Walz in the vice presidency, Democratic Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan would replace him.

Virginia’s 13 electoral votes have largely leaned Democrat over the years. Democrats have won the presidential election in the state every year since 2004.

South Dakota has voted for Republicans in every presidential election since 1968. The state is also voting on four ballot measures, including the Right to Abortion Initiative. If it’s passed, women would be allowed to get an abortion within the first trimester and until the third trimester if the mother’s life is at risk. The state would protect unborn babies starting in the second trimester if it “reasonably” related to the health of the mother.

Dig deeper: Read WORLD’s full voting guides for Minnesota, South Dakota, and Virginia.