Voters line up to cast their ballots at the Stamford Government Center on the first day of early voting on Oct. 21, 2024, in Stamford, Connecticut. Credit – John Moore—Getty Images
With the 2024 presidential election fast approaching, early voting is up and running for many. All but three U.S. states (47 in total) and the District of Columbia offer early voting options. In swing states especially, early voting, either through in-person or mail-in ballots, has been a priority for both parties.
More than 2.1 million voters have cast early votes in the key state of Georgia, which flipped blue in 2020 and helped President Joe Biden beat the Republican candidate, former President Donald Trump. Despite the devastation of Hurricane Helene, key swing state North Carolina set a new record for first day voting, marking over 350,000 votes, as did South Carolina, which saw more than 125,000 votes cast.
So far in 2024, more Democrats than Republicans have voted early. However, the percentage of Republicans is higher than in 2020, perhaps a result of leaders in the Republican party focusing more on the practice than in previous elections.
Trump discouraged voters from utilizing mail-in voting and early voting in 2020. In fact, his attacks on mail-in voting and false allegations of widespread voter fraud capitalized on fear and uncertainty about holding a presidential election in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.