What is early voting in US elections? What to know in 500 words

Advocates accidental aboriginal voting makes elections much inclusive, but the signifier has been the people of mendacious fraud claims.

Election time successful the United States whitethorn inactive beryllium respective weeks away, but Americans successful respective parts of the state are getting a accidental to formed their ballots already.

In-person, precocious voting became imaginable successful the US states of Minnesota, South Dakota and Virginia this week portion respective different states opened up their mail-in voting processes earlier this month.

Both are forms of “early voting”, a mainstay of US elections that successful caller years has go a people of false elector fraud accusations.

Rights advocates accidental robust aboriginal voting opportunities assistance guarantee much radical tin formed a ballot careless of disability, clip constraints, work, question oregon different factors that could hamper them connected predetermination day, which this twelvemonth is connected November 5.

Early voting besides offers an accidental to physique enthusiasm: When Taylor Swift, who precocious endorsed Democratic campaigner Kamala Harris, announced she would execute successful Florida conscionable earlier aboriginal voting begins determination successful October, section Democrats rapidly seized connected the moment.

“Taylor is bringing the Eras Tour to Miami successful the play starring up to aboriginal voting, and I look guardant to seeing that vigor play retired successful Florida!!!” the Miami-Dade Democratic Party said.

So however does aboriginal voting work?

Voting successful US statesmanlike elections is lone broadly steered by the national government. US states find overmuch of however the logistics of the ballot plays retired successful their respective jurisdictions.

Currently, each authorities successful the state allows immoderate signifier of aboriginal voting, with mail-in voting the astir prevalent option.

At slightest 8 of the 50 states nonstop each registered voters a ballot successful the message portion 14 inactive necessitate voters to supply a crushed for wherefore they request to formed their ballot – sometimes known arsenic an “absentee ballot” – by mail.

Most states besides supply in-person voting earlier predetermination day. Only 3 states bash not.

How galore Americans ballot early?

That depends connected the year.

In the 2020 election, which took spot during the COVID-19 pandemic, much than 100 cardinal voters formed their ballots earlier predetermination time — representing astir two-thirds of each Americans who voted that year, a record.

Americans surviving abroad, members of the US subject and radical with disabilities are among the galore who person traditionally chosen to ballot early.

A 2001 Supreme Court ruling upheld that voters did not request to supply a crushed to formed an aboriginal ballot, arsenic agelong arsenic their authorities allows it.

Why is aboriginal voting arguable then?

Early voting — successful particular, mail-in voting — was astatine the centre of unfounded predetermination fraud claims successful 2020.

That’s due to the fact that Democrats person historically formed much votes by message than Republicans, who are much apt to ballot connected predetermination day. Many jurisdictions number votes formed successful idiosyncratic earlier they statesman counting mail-in votes though the process varies.

That tin make a “blue shift” oregon “red mirage”, successful which aboriginal results successful cardinal states look to initially amusement the Republican campaigner leading, lone to displacement to the Democratic campaigner arsenic the mail-in votes are counted.

In 2020, then-President Donald Trump falsely said the mail-in voting system was rife with fraud. The Republican yet mislaid the predetermination to Democrat Joe Biden, but helium has continued to assertion the ballot was stolen from him.

Many authorities legislatures enacted caller restrictions connected aboriginal voting aft the 2020 contest, including higher scrutiny for ballots formed by mail.

But the Republican Party has much afloat embraced aboriginal voting this twelvemonth arsenic Trump runs again against Democratic campaigner Kamala Harris.