Early Voting in the United States: The Current Situation

Early Voting Numbers

With less than four weeks until Election Day, nearly three million Americans have already cast their ballots, either in person or by mail. This information comes from the University of Florida’s Election Lab website, which tracks early voting data. As of 6:43 p.m. on October 9, 2,877,590 people had cast their votes.

Breakdown of Early Voters

Out of the total early voters, approximately 504,000 people voted in person, while over 2.37 million voted by mail. So far, about 47.5 million mail-in ballots have been requested. This is in comparison to the over 92 million mail-in ballots requested throughout the 2020 election. In states that report voting data by party, 56.3 percent of early voters were Democrats, 27.4 percent were Republicans, and 16.2 percent were independents or members of a third party.

Voter Demographics

When considering age demographics, nearly 60 percent of early voters were over 65. Another 28 percent were between 41 and 65, 9 percent were between 26 and 40, and only 3.2 percent were between 18 and 25. In terms of gender, slightly more than 54.4 percent of early voters were female, and roughly 44.6 percent were male. The remaining 1.1 percent were marked as “unknown.” Regarding ethnicity, about 72 percent of early voters were white, 8.6 percent were black, 2.2 percent were Hispanic, 2.4 percent were Asian, and 14.3 percent were marked as “unknown.”

Early Voting in Arizona

On October 9, Arizona began early in-person voting, making it the earliest of this year’s presidential battleground states to allow residents to cast a ballot at a traditional polling place before Election Day. Both presidential campaigns scheduled visits in the state this week. In Arizona, nearly 80 percent of voters cast their ballots before Election Day in 2020.

Changes in North Carolina’s Election

In the wake of Hurricane Helene, North Carolina’s election board approved an emergency measure that modifies voting rules in 13 counties. The changes include enhancing in-person early voting and allowing voters to request an absentee ballot in person up until the day before the general election.

Other States' Actions

South Carolina extended its voter registration deadline to October 14. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed an executive order allowing election supervisors in 13 counties impacted by Helene to make voting-related changes. The state is preparing for another major hurricane, Milton, expected to hit Florida’s Gulf Coast on October 9.

Bottom Line

The early voting numbers and the measures being taken by different states to accommodate voters show the importance of participation in the electoral process. With the ongoing pandemic and natural disasters affecting various parts of the country, it's crucial that every eligible voter has the opportunity to cast their ballot. What are your thoughts on the current state of early voting in the U.S.? Feel free to share this article with your friends and discuss. Don't forget to sign up for the Daily Briefing, which is available every day at 6pm.