Record Early Voting in 2024 Election
In a remarkable turn of events, early voting for the 2024 U.S. presidential election has reached unprecedented levels, with over 77 million Americans having cast their ballots. This significant figure reflects the heightened competition between candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, as noted by the Elections Lab at the University of Florida. The breakdown of early votes includes 42 million cast in person and 35 million by mail.
The surge in early voting has led many to conclude that the traditional concept of Election Day is evolving into an extended election season. The Washington Post highlighted that early voting this year accounts for nearly half of the total votes expected on Election Day, surpassing early voting figures from both the 2012 and 2016 elections. Notably, Georgia, a key swing state, saw approximately 4 million early voters, representing 80% of its total votes from 2020. Similarly, North Carolina reported over 4.2 million early votes.
Implications of Early Voting Trends
The early voting trend indicates a shift in voter behavior, with Democrats historically leading in early voting participation. In the 2020 election, nearly 60% of Joe Biden's votes came from early ballots, compared to around 30% for Trump. However, recent polls suggest a potential shift this year, with an increasing number of Republican supporters opting for early voting. Despite these trends, political analysts caution against drawing definitive conclusions regarding the election outcome based solely on early voting data, given the tight race between the candidates.
