Donald Trump recently reversed course on early voting, encouraging millions to cast their ballot before Election Day. As of Wednesday, more than 28 million have done so across the 36 states that allow it.
In the swing state of Georgia alone, over 1.6 million voters returned an early ballot by last Tuesday – 300,000 of whom voted on the first day of advanced voting. That’s roughly a third of the state’s total turnout in 2020.
On Monday, a poll suggested that despite Republicans joining the early-vote rush, Kamala Harris enjoyed a 2-to-1 advantage among those voters, many of whom are motivated by the fight for abortion rights.
Ahead of the recent election in British Columbia, Canadian voters in the province broke early voting records with over a million ballots cast before Election Day – over 28% of the total electorate.
Early voting is convenient for voters, allowing them more time and flexibility in casting a ballot. It also allows parties to focus on identifying and mobilizing supporters on Election Day. Republicans, while encouraging early ballots, launched court challenges against overseas and military absentee voting in swing states, alleging potential voter fraud. Earlier this week, judges in Michigan and North Carolina, rejected two of those challenges, but there are nearly 100 suits still making their way through the courts as voting day nears.