How to check whether your electoral vote in 2024 has been counted

ONEleading the US presidential election on November 5, where Republican candidate Donald Trump faces Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the polls, millions of Americans have chosen to cast their ballots early. At the time of publication, 76 million people have cast early ballots.

All but three US states and the District of Columbia offer early voting, with both the Republican and Democratic parties actively encouraging early voting among their supporters. A record number of the votes are cast in certain battlefield states. According to Rachael Cobb, associate professor of political science and legal studies at Suffolk University in Boston, Massachusetts, early voting has significant benefits for both campaigns and voters.

With in-person early voting, she emphasizes, voters can go and receive the necessary support from poll workers.

“(Voters) can see everything being handled with their own eyes,” Cobb says. She also emphasizes the convenience of early voting, which often allows people to vote at centers close to their work or home without too much impact on their busy schedules.

Despite the increased involvement in the election system, election officials in several states have reported damaged and vandalized ballot boxes.

Read more: Here’s how many Americans have voted early in the presidential election — so far

Amid the tight race between Harris and Trump, voters may want to check to see if their 2024 presidential ballots have been processed. If the vote was cast using a mail-in or absentee ballot, several states have online databases through which citizens can enter their personal information — such as their name, date of birth and zip code — and see if their ballot has been counted. However, some states highlight that it can take some time for a voter’s mail ballot to appear in the respective databases.

As for people casting their ballots in person, certain states also have options for voters to track their provisional ballot if they choose to go to early voting in person. Some allow these voters to enter personal information online to see if their provisional ballot has been counted. If a voter’s state or county does not have this option, they can still use the national hotline: 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683) to check the status of their in-person provisional ballot.

According to Charles Stewart, a professor of political science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass., if you cast an in-person vote, there is “no need” for voters to track the ballot as they see it enter the ballot box. Campaigners are more likely to be those trying to confirm personal voting.

“In presidential battleground states or other places where there’s a close election, it’s generally the parties and the campaigns that do the work of notifying people about their presidential ballot and working to bring them in to cure (any) problems, Stewart tells TIME.

You can click on the states below to check the status of your submitted ballot: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginiaand Wisconsin.

There are three states absent from the above list as they do not offer online ballot tracking. Although Illinois does not have their own state website to check the status of submitted ballots, certain counties may e.g Will County and Macoupin Countydo. Check your specific county office website and more information should be available there.

Missouri also has no statewide mechanism online to help voters see the status of their mail-in ballots. But depending on where voters live, tracking still happens at the local level. Kansas City and St. Louis both have implemented their own online vote tracking systems. Voters without online tracking systems can call their local election office to find out if their ballot has been received.

In Wyoming, citizens are directed to contact their local county commissionerwho can share with them if their ballot was received.

Read more: Your vote is safe

Meanwhile, the process in California depends on which county you’re voting in. Some counties require voters to call their election office. The numbers for each office are listed on the state’s website.

Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Arizona are among the states that have their own separate databases for provisional voting. Ohio and Florida, on the other hand, have their own state-specific hotlines (OHIO-VOTE (866-644-6868) and 833-868-3331, respectively) where voters can call and inquire about the status of their provisional ballot.

It’s important to note: The time it takes for different states to verify the ballots varies, as do the methods used to obtain the information.