Ready or not, election season in the US is about to start. The first ballots will go out within days

It might feel like the presidential election is still a long way off. It’s not. Election Day on Nov. 5 is only about two months away, and major dates, events and political developments will make it fly by. The first mail ballots will start going out to voters on Friday. The first presidential debate is set for Sept. 10. Former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, is scheduled to be sentenced in his New York hush money case on Sept. 18. And early in-person voting will start as soon as Sept. 20 in some states.