Why are millions of Americans voting early for the November 5 US presidential election?

With the 2024 United States presidential election still weeks away, voters in many states in the US have already started casting their ballots. Early voting is now available across several states, allowing people to vote ahead of the official Election Day on November 5.

This trend gained significant momentum during the 2020 US elections, and many states have maintained these options since.

How did early voting come about?

The expansion of early voting options has transformed how Americans participate in elections.

Early voting or advance polling isn’t new and is used across various countries, but its use skyrocketed during the 2020 US Presidential Election due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 100 million voters cast their ballots before Election Day that year, either in person or by mail.

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This massive shift was prompted by safety concerns, as voters sought to avoid crowded polling places. States quickly adapted by offering more flexible voting options, and many of those changes remain in place for the 2024 US election.

States like Maryland, Florida were the first few while states like Massachusetts have only recently adopted early voting, others like New York made early voting a statewide mandate in 2019. Meanwhile, Connecticut was one of the last states to introduce early voting, passing a constitutional amendment in 2022 and signing early voting legislation into law in 2023.

In 2024, nearly 97 per cent of all US voting-age citizens live in states where some form of early voting is available, according to a July 2024 study by the Center for Election Innovation & Research.

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This is a significant increase compared to 2000 when only 40 per cent of citizens had access to early voting. The percentage of ballots cast before Election Day has steadily risen over the past two decades, from 14 per cent in 2000 to a record 69 per cent in 2020. For the 2022 US midterms, this figure returned to 50 per cent.

As early voting continues to evolve, its popularity is likely to grow, providing voters with greater flexibility and convenience. In 2020, MTV launched the campaign “Vote Early Day,” celebrating early voting as a civic holiday, encouraging young voters to participate in elections early.

What do you need to know about in-person early voting?

As of 2024, 47 US states, along with the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands, offer in-person early voting. The length of the early voting period varies from state to state, ranging from just five days to as many as 50 days, with an average duration of 23 days.

While all states provide some form of mail voting, the process and eligibility criteria differ. For instance, eight states, including California and Nevada, automatically send mail-in ballots to all registered voters.

Despite these options, three states — Alabama, Mississippi, and New Hampshire — do not offer early in-person voting but allow absentee ballots in certain cases.

Meanwhile, 23 states and Washington DC, permit weekend early voting, which can occur on Saturdays, Sundays, or both. For those opting for absentee voting, 36 states and Washington DC allow voters to cast a mail-in ballot without requiring a specific excuse.

What are the key dates for early voting?

The early voting calendar varies widely across the country, with some states already beginning the process in mid-September. Below are key dates for early voting in several US states:

• September 11: Alabama became the first state to begin early voting by sending absentee ballots to voters who provided a valid justification.

• September 19: Wisconsin began mailing ballots to voters who had requested them.

• September 20: Early voting, both in-person and by mail, began in Minnesota and South Dakota. Virginia also started in-person early voting on this date.

• September 21: Federal law mandates that all absentee ballots for military and overseas voters must be mailed by this date. Eleven states, including North Carolina, are expected to have mailed ballots by this day.

• October 9: Arizona begins both in-person and mail-in voting.

• October 16: Nevada will send mail-in ballots to all registered voters.

• October 21: Texas begins its in-person early voting period.

Steve Simon, Minnesota’s Secretary of State and president of the National Association of Secretaries of State, encouraged voters to take advantage of early voting to avoid potential issues.

“If I could wave a magic wand in this room right now, I would wish for two things: Between now and November 5th, I want to see high turnout and low drama,” Simon said during a news conference, highlighting the significance of early voting.

What security measures are taken at polling booths?

Election security is a major concern heading into 2024. Officials across the country are beefing up safety measures at polling places to ensure smooth and secure voting. In Virginia, for instance, elections officials recently received suspicious packages, prompting federal authorities to investigate.

Concerns over potential election fraud have remained in the spotlight, largely due to former US President Donald Trump’s rhetoric. Trump has publicly pledged to prosecute anyone who “cheats” in the 2024 election, repeating unsubstantiated claims of widespread fraud from the 2020 election.

Despite his previous scepticism of mail-in voting, Trump and the Republican National Committee have since embraced early voting as a way to ensure GOP voters cast their ballots early.

In South Dakota, Minnehaha County’s top election official Leah Anderson anticipates a high voter turnout — up to 80 per cent — due to the significant issues on the ballot, including a constitutional amendment to protect abortion rights and a proposal to legalise recreational marijuana. “There’s a lot on our ballot,” Anderson told AP.

What is the role of the US postal service?

Mail-in voting continues to be a popular option, but concerns about the reliability of the US Postal Service (USPS) have caused apprehension among voters. State and local election officials have warned about persistent mail delivery issues that could disenfranchise voters who rely on absentee ballots.

Although US Postmaster General Louis DeJoy assured the public that the Postal Service would be ready for the 2024 election, voters are encouraged to request and return their mail-in ballots early to avoid potential delays, reported AP.

Simon echoed these concerns, urging voters to plan ahead: “My hope and expectation is that the USPS will do the things that we have recommended and do them quickly over the next 47 days because the stakes really are high for individual voters.”

With inputs from agencies