By Gauri Patel
Staff Writer
With election day quickly approaching on Nov. 5, Americans are getting a head start on shaping the presidential race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump.
More than 41 million Americans have already cast their ballots in the November election, either by mail or through early in-person voting, according to The Associated Press.
Across the country, the popularity of early voting has grown dramatically, setting records in at least two battleground states, Georgia and North Carolina.
Over 2.5 million people have voted early in Georgia, according to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, which is about a quarter of the voters in the state.
In North Carolina, more than 353,000 people cast ballots on the first day of the state’s early voting period, according to the North Carolina State Board of Elections, breaking records even in regions impacted by Hurricane Helene.
Record numbers of voters turned out in Yancey County, North Carolina, despite being one of the areas hardest hit by the storm. As of Oct. 23, 3,000 voters cast their ballots in person, out of the county’s 15,000 voters, according to NPR.
“You wouldn't believe the people [that have] come through here today [that have] said, ‘I don't have a home,’ but they're here to vote,” said Yancey County elections director Mary Beth Tipton.
In states where early voting numbers are strong, both Republicans and Democrats are urging their supporters to take advantage of early voting. At a rally in Georgia, Kamala Harris, joined by high-profile supporters including former president Barack Obama, urged voters to “please vote early” ahead of the upcoming election, according to Reuters.
Trump also urged voters to cast their ballots early, stating, "I am telling everyone to vote early," during a podcast hosted by Dan Bongino, according to The Associated Press. The Republican National Committee has also encouraged early participation to avoid long lines on Election Day and ensure that votes are counted, representing a significant change from the 2020 election, where skepticism toward early and mail voting was widespread among conservatives.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many states expanded the use of ballot drop boxes to provide a safe, contactless voting method. However, former President Trump and some allies later spread baseless claims that these boxes enabled widespread election fraud, alleging they were used to "stuff" fake ballots, according to NPR.
Investigations by election officials and law enforcement found no evidence of significant issues with drop boxes in 2020, confirming they were secure, closely monitored and effective for voting. The Associated Press also reported no significant issues with drop boxes in the 2020 election.
According to NPR, more people are likely to vote in-person than by mail compared to previous elections, partly due to increased restrictions on ballot drop boxes. For example, Georgia limited drop boxes to early voting locations and reduced their availability, especially affecting larger, urban counties with more Democratic voters.
In the battleground state of Wisconsin, fewer ballot drop boxes are available than they were four years ago, going from more than 500 in 2020 to 78 today, according toThe Associated Press.
However, other states, like Michigan, have also worked to expand drop box access and ease mail-in voting requirements, and Nevada has adopted a universal vote-by-mail system.
Republicans have made gains in early in-person voting, while Democrats are leading in mail-in voting.
According to The Associated Press, early voting among Republicans has surged in key battleground states, largely spurred by encouragement from GOP leaders. In Nevada, where Democrats have historically relied on strong early voting to balance GOP turnout, approximately 6,000 more Republicans than Democrats had cast early ballots as of Oct. 22. As of the same day, Democrats have submitted approximately 350,000 more mail-in ballots than Republicans.
Still, experts emphasize that while early voting enhances election security and administrative efficiency, the data collected primarily reflects party registration rather than actual voter preferences. They caution that early voting patterns do not guarantee election outcomes and that turnout patterns alone don’t determine results.
Ultimately, the final outcomes will depend on the collective turnout on Election Day and dynamics of voter preferences as the election approaches.
