Proponents of the practice say early voting makes elections more inclusive, but the practice has been the target of false allegations of fraud.
Election Day in the United States may be weeks away, but Americans in many parts of the country already have the chance to vote.
Early in-person voting became possible in the US states of Minnesota, South Dakota and Virginia this week, while several other states opened their mail-in voting processes earlier this month.
These two forms of “early voting,” a mainstay of American elections that has become a target of false accusations of electoral fraud.
Human rights advocates say robust early voting opportunities help ensure that more people can cast their ballots, regardless of their disabilities, time constraints, jobs, travel or other factors that might hinder them on Election Day, which this year falls on November 5.
Early voting also provides an opportunity to generate excitement: When Taylor Swift, who recently Democratic candidate Kamala Harris endorsesannounced she would perform in Florida just before early voting began in October, local Democrats quickly seized the opportunity.
“Taylor is bringing the Eras Tour to Miami the weekend before early voting, and I can’t wait to see that energy come to Florida!!!” the Miami-Dade Democratic Party said.
So how does early voting work?
In the United States, presidential voting is largely dictated by the federal government. U.S. states largely determine how voting takes place in their respective jurisdictions.
Currently, every state in the country allows some form of early voting, with mail-in voting being the most popular option.
At least eight of the 50 states send all registered voters a ballot by mail, while 14 still require voters to provide a reason why they need to vote — sometimes called an “absentee ballot” — by mail.
Most states also offer in-person voting before Election Day. Only three states do not.
How Many Americans Vote Early?
It depends on the year.
In the 2020 election, which took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 100 million voters cast ballots before Election Day, or about two-thirds of all Americans who voted that year, a record.
Americans living abroad, members of the U.S. military and people with disabilities are among the many people who have traditionally chosen to vote early.
A 2001 Supreme Court decision confirmed that voters do not need to provide a reason to vote early, as long as their state allows it.
Why then is early voting controversial?
Early voting — particularly mail-in voting — was at the center of unfounded allegations of voter fraud in 2020.
That’s because Democrats traditionally vote more by mail than Republicans, who are more likely to vote on Election Day. Many jurisdictions count votes cast in person before they begin counting mail-in votes, though the process varies.
This could create a “blue shift” or a “red mirage,” in which early results in key states initially appear to show the Republican candidate in the lead, only to shift toward the Democratic candidate as mail-in votes are counted.
In 2020, then-President Donald Trump falsely claimed that mail-in voting The system was rife with fraudThe Republican ultimately lost the election to Democrat Joe Biden, but he continues to claim the vote was stolen from him.
Many state legislatures promulgated new restrictions on early voting after the 2020 election, including stricter oversight of mail-in ballots.
But the Republican Party has embraced early voting more this year, as Trump is running again against Democratic nominee Kamala Harris.