More than 74 million Americans have already cast their vote, one way or another, in this year’s presidential election, representing 47% of those who voted in 2020.
Early voting in swing states, in particular, has been enormous. In Georgia, four million ballots have already been cast—80% of the number that voted in 2020. Arizona and North Carolina have seen early turnout rates of 50% of eligible voters.
According to analysis from The Washington Post, these figures represent clear evidence of significant changes in voter behaviour, especially since the pandemic and its social restrictions, which forced many to vote early or by mail.
Although early voting isn’t quite as high as it was in 2020, it’s significantly higher than it was in 2016 or any election before that.
“Election Day is just the end of voting now,” commented Barry Burden, director of the Elections Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
“We have many election days and it’s just the final day on which ballots can be cast.”
Burden added, however, that the changes aren’t indicative of an increase in the electorate.
“I don’t think it’s generating many new voters. The research suggests these are mostly people changing their method and timing of voting, but they are not people who otherwise would sit home.”
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