The Washington, D.C., region is home to about 400,000 federal employees, plus members of the military and government contractors. In a government shutdown, they face no pay and lots of uncertainty.

Most overseas troops use the mail and the law requires their ballots to go out early.

One hundred newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 among U.S. forces on the small island that hosts about half the Americans stationed in Japan are further testing tense ties with Okinawa.