Voters lined up Friday to cast their ballots in Minnesota, South Dakota and Virginia, the states with the first early in-person voting opportunities. About a dozen more states will follow by mid-October.

Early voting began in Minnesota, South Dakota and Virginia on Friday, letting voters in those states cast ballots while Election Day remains a month and a half away, on Nov. 5. All three states began sending out mail ballots on Friday,

The countdown to the November 5th general election is underway. Starting September 20th, county clerks across West Virginia will begin to mail absentee ballots to voters. Under state law, county clerks are required to mail these ballots to voters that are registered who qualify for absentee voting.