Early Voting in the 2024 Election

Overview of Early Voting

As of October 28, 2024, approximately 47.5 million Americans have already cast their votes for the 2024 election. This includes over 24.24 million in-person votes and over 23.38 million mail-in votes, as reported by the University of Florida Election Lab. This is almost a third of the total number of voters in the 2020 election, which stood at 158.4 million.

Early Voting Across the States

Early voting has begun in several states including Florida, New Jersey, New York, and Michigan. As such, Americans in 45 states can now vote in-person before Election Day on November 5. Early voting will commence in Oklahoma on October 30 and in Kentucky on October 31. Meanwhile, early voting periods in Louisiana, Maine, Tennessee, and Maryland will end on October 29 and 31 respectively. Three states, namely Alabama, Mississippi, and New Hampshire, do not offer in-person early voting.

Voting Trends

There has been a notable trend in early voting, with Republicans showing up in greater numbers to vote in person before Election Day compared to previous election cycles. On the other hand, Democrats are casting the most mail-in votes, albeit not in the numbers they did in 2020. In the 2020 election, about 60 percent of Democrats and 32 percent of Republicans voted by mail, according to a study by the M.I.T. Election Data and Science Lab. However, this gap may not be as wide in 2024 if current trends continue, with Republicans responding to party leaders’ calls to vote early, either in person or by mail.

Early Voting in Battleground States

The trend is especially evident in the seven battleground states that are predicted to determine the outcome between former President Donald Trump and Democrat nominee Vice President Kamala Harris on November 5. These states include Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Nevada. In each of these states, there has been a significant turnout for early voting, with both in-person and mail-in votes.

Implications for the Election

The high turnout for early voting, particularly among Republicans, could have significant implications for the election. It represents a reversal of the trend observed in 2020, especially in northern states. This shift could potentially impact the final results of the election, particularly in the battleground states.

Bottom Line

The 2024 election is already seeing a high turnout for early voting, with nearly a third of the total number of voters in the 2020 election having already cast their votes. This trend, particularly the increased early voting among Republicans, could potentially impact the final results of the election. What are your thoughts on this early voting trend? Do you think it will significantly impact the final results of the election? Share your thoughts with your friends and remember to sign up for the Daily Briefing at 6pm every day.