If your ballot is still sitting on the kitchen table, today is the day to move it.
Not because time is almost up — there are 8 days to go before November 3 — but because this Monday, October 26, closes two doors at once. In Colorado, today is the deadline to register and still be mailed a ballot. In Washington, today is the deadline to register online or by mail. And in both states, the official advice changes verb from today on: no longer “mail it,” but “deliver it.”
Meanwhile, the national counter crossed a new mark. As of Monday morning, more than 29 million people had already voted in the United States: 29,163,839 ballots, according to the NBC News tracker. Split almost evenly between mail and in-person voting — about 14.6 million each way — with more than 57.8 million mail ballots requested or sent nationwide.
And who is voting? Among voters whose affiliation is known, registered Democrats lead with 47%, followed by Republicans at 35% and independents or other parties at 18%. The fine print has not changed since yesterday: that measures who voted early, not whom they voted for. A ballot’s contents are not known until the count, and in 2022 Democrats also led the early vote while Republicans ended up winning the House.
Colorado: today, or in person
The Colorado Secretary of State leaves no room for doubt. Today, October 26, is the last day to register and be mailed a ballot. After today, you can still register — Colorado allows same-day registration and voting — but you will have to do it in person, at a voting center in your county, until 7 p.m. on Election Day.
Today’s other deadline is just as practical: October 26 is the last suggested day to return your ballot by mail. Starting tomorrow, October 27, the Secretary’s own guidance says do not put it in the mailbox: take your signed ballot to an official drop box or a voting center. Why the rush with 8 days to go? Because in Colorado a postmark is not enough. The ballot must physically be in your county clerk’s hands by 7 p.m. on November 3. If it arrives late, it does not count.
The state’s numbers show the scale: 384 voting centers and 452 official drop boxes open this year, according to the Secretary’s most recent release. Everything is checked at GoVoteColorado.gov: registration, address, nearest drop box, and ballot tracking with BallotTrax.
Washington: the same idea, a different hour
In Washington, the Secretary of State’s calendar marks the same day with the same logic. Today, October 26, is the last day for online or mailed registrations or updates to be received. Anyone who misses today is not shut out: they can register or update their information in person until 8 p.m. on November 3, at their county elections office or a voting center.
Washington votes almost entirely by mail — ballots went out on October 16 and you do not need to request one — but the return rule is close to Colorado’s: an official drop box by 8 p.m. on November 3 is the guaranteed on-time option. By mail, the ballot must be postmarked by Election Day, and the Postal Service itself recommends mailing it more than a week early. That week has already passed. So if you live in Washington and your ballot is still at home, the official drop box is your best friend today, not the mailbox on the corner.
What about the rest of the map? Georgia, where Trump campaigned over the weekend and Obama is scheduled for October 31, has already passed 1.5 million early votes and closes early voting on Friday, October 30. North Carolina and Florida close on Saturday, October 31. And in North Carolina and Georgia, according to Election Lab analysts, turnout among Black and Latino voters is rising sharply compared with 2022; in Texas, early-vote volume is up more than 50% on the previous midterm. These are the states moving the needle this week, not just the ones piling up the most votes.
What to do today, without leaving it for Thursday
First, if you live in Colorado or Washington and you are not registered or you moved: register today at GoVoteColorado.gov or VoteWA.gov. Today your ballot still comes by mail; tomorrow, only in person.
Second, if you already have your ballot at home — in any state — do not leave it to this week’s mail. Drop it in an official drop box or at a voting center, signed, and check afterward that it was received. In Colorado, the postmark will not save you; in Washington, the drop box is the guarantee.
Third, if you plan to vote in person this week: check your county’s hours before you leave, because they vary, and bring your ID if your state requires it. Yesterday we reported here how the map looked at 28 million and why Texas went neck and neck; we also published California’s fight over the 20,000-name list that arrived with a 48-hour deadline. And if this week has your mind elsewhere — the Health Insurance Marketplace opens Sunday — voting today is one way to clear a task before the week gets worse.
Eight days left. Next Monday at this hour, there will be no more deadlines to meet: only results to count.
Official sources
- Colorado Secretary of State — release on in-person voting for the 2026 General Election (October 26: deadline to register and be mailed a ballot; last suggested day to return it by mail; from October 27, deliver to a drop box or voting center; 384 centers and 452 drop boxes; ballots due by 7 p.m. on November 3): https://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/newsRoom/pressReleases/2026/PR20260923GeneralElection.html
- Colorado Secretary of State — GoVoteColorado.gov (registration, drop boxes and voting centers, BallotTrax tracking): https://www.GoVoteColorado.gov
- Washington Secretary of State — 2026 General Election fact sheet (October 26: last day for online or mailed registrations; in-person registration until 8 p.m. on November 3; official drop boxes until 8 p.m. on November 3; VoteWA.gov): https://www.sos.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2026-10/GeneralElectionFacts2026.pdf
- NBC News early-vote tracker, consulted Monday morning, October 26, 2026 (29,163,839 ballots; about 14.6 million by mail and 14.6 million in person; more than 57.8 million mail ballots requested or sent; 47% Democrats, 35% Republicans, 18% independents or others among voters with known affiliation), via October 26 report: https://conexionmigrante.com/2026-/10-/26/elecciones-intermedias-voto-anticipado-supera-los-29-millones/
- Georgia — early voting past 1.5 million people and campaign events over the weekend (Trump) and scheduled for October 31 (Obama), October 26, 2026 report: https://www.milenio.com/internacional/trump-y-obama-disputan-proximas-elecciones-en-georgia
- Vote.gov — registration check and voting options by state: https://vote.gov
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