The first general election ballots are going in the mail as the presidential contest nears

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The first general election ballots for the presidential race are going out Wednesday as Alabama officials begin mailing them to absentee voters with the Nov. 5 contest less than two months away.

North Carolina had been scheduled to start sending absentee ballots last Friday, but that was delayed after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. successfully sued to have his name removed from the ballot. He has filed similar challenges in other presidential battleground states after he dropped his campaign and endorsed Republican nominee Donald Trump.

While the ballot milestone is relatively quiet and comes in a state that is not a political battleground, it is a sign of how quickly Election Day is approaching after this summer’s party conventions and Tuesday’s first presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and Trump.

“We’re ready to go,” said Sharon Long, deputy clerk in the Jefferson County circuit clerk’s office.

Long said her office received ballots on Tuesday and will begin mailing absentee ballots on Wednesday morning to voters who applied for them and to overseas and military voters. Voters also can come to their election office, complete the application and even submit a ballot in person.

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