The November elections are a week away, but that doesn't mean you have to wait until the voting booths open. In all the states where drug policy-related initiatives are on the statewide ballot, early, absentee, and mail-in voting has already begun.

[image:1 align:left]Here is the information on early voting in the initiative states courtesy of the National Council of State Legislatures:

Alaska -- The marijuana legalization Measure 2 initiative is on the ballot. Early and absentee voting began last week and continues through election day.

California -- Two drug policy-related initiatives are on the ballot. Proposition 46 would drug test doctors as part of an initiative to raise malpractice liability caps, while Proposition 47 would defelonize drug possession and other offenses. Early voting has been underway since early this month and ends next Monday.

District of Columbia -- The marijuana possession and cultivation legalization Measure 71 initiative is on the ballot. Absentee voting began last week and ends next Monday. Early voting begins tomorrow (Tuesday) and ends on Saturday.

Florida -- The medical marijuana legalization Amendment 2 is on the ballot. Early voting began this past weekend and ends Saturday.

Oregon -- The marijuana legalization Measure 91 initiative is on the ballot. Oregon is an all-mail voting state, and voting has been underway since early this month. For those who haven't mailed in their ballots, state law requires each county to have at least two drop boxes beginning this Friday.

It's time to exercise your right to vote.