The time has finally come - early voting starts today. You can now cast your ballot in the 2014 General Election.

There are the three options for casting your ballot:
• Vote by mail: If you are registered to vote, you have already received an absentee application from the Secretary of State's office in the mail. You can also print the application from the Secretary's website. Once you've completed it, return it to your local county board of elections, and an absentee ballot will be sent to your house. After you vote, you can either return the ballot by mail (must be postmarked by Nov. 3), or drop it off at the county board of elections.

• Vote early in-person: At designated times from today through Nov. 3, you can stop by your county board of elections to vote in-person. The Secretary of State has posted a calendar showing the dates and times that you can vote, and you can check with your county board of elections to determine the precise location. Early in-person voting covers 22 days and 188 hours.

• Vote on Election Day: Of course, you can also wait until Tuesday, Nov. 4, to head to the polls. Voting will begin at 6:30 a.m. and end at 7:30 p.m.