ADuring the US presidential election on November 5th, in which Republican candidate Donald Trump will face Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the polls, millions of Americans have chosen to cast their votes early. At the time of publication, 76 million people voted early.

All but three U.S. states and the District of Columbia offer early voting options, with both the Republican and Democratic parties actively promoting early voting among their supporters. Record numbers of votes were cast in certain battleground states. According to Rachael Cobb, an associate professor of political science and law at Suffolk University in Boston, Massachusetts, early voting has significant benefits for both campaigns and voters.

She emphasizes that by voting early on site, voters can receive the support they need from election workers.

“(Voters) can see that everything is being sorted through their own eyes,” Cobb said. She also emphasizes how convenient early voting is, as it often allows people to vote at centers near their work or home without disrupting their schedules too much.

Despite increased engagement with the voting system, election officials in several states have reported damaged and destroyed ballot boxes.

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

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

As for people voting in person, certain states also allow voters to track their provisional ballot if they chose to vote early in person. Some allow those voters to enter personal information online to see whether their provisional ballot was 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 personal provisional ballot.

According to Charles Stewart, a political science professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts, when voting in person, voters have “no need” to track the ballot because they are watching it go into the ballot box. Campaigns are more likely to try to verify in-person voting.

“In presidential battleground states or elsewhere where there are close elections, it is generally the parties and campaigns that inform people about their presidential vote and get them to resolve (any) issues,” Stewart tells TIME.

You can click on the following states to check the status of your mail-in 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 Virginia and Wisconsin.

Three states are missing from the list above because they do not offer online ballot tracking. Although Illinois doesn't have its own state website to check the status of mail-in ballots, some counties like Will County and Macoupin County do. Check your local county clerk's website and more information should be available.

Missouri also does not have a statewide online mechanism to help voters view the status of their mail-in ballots. However, depending on where voters live, tracking still occurs at the local level. Kansas City and St. Louis have both implemented their own online ballot tracking systems. Voters without an online tracking system can call their local elections office to check whether their ballot has been received.

In Wyoming, citizens are directed to contact their local county clerk, who can let them know whether their ballot has been received.

Read more: Your voice is safe

In California, however, the process depends on which county you are voting in. In some counties, voters must call their election office. The numbers for each office are listed on the state website.

Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Arizona are among the states that have their own separate databases for provisional ballots. 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 different states to verify ballots varies, as do the methods used to obtain the information.