Eight days before the November 3 US presidential election, early voting surpassed all ballots leading up to the 2016 election. The US Election Project Led by the University of Florida said that by 25 By October, more than 59 million people had already voted at the beginning of the elections. In 2016, 57 million people had voted early or by mail, according to the website of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.
Here’s everything you need to know about early voting:
What is early voting?
Early voting is a convenient way to vote where people can vote before the scheduled election day. This can be done in person at the early voting tables or by mail. This is a complex process as different states in the United States have different rules regarding early voting. Also, voting early does not mean voting easily, as in-person polling stations can also have long lines and some states have elaborate vote-by-mail processes.
Why do people vote early in elections?
The main reason attributed to the increase in early voting is the Covid-19 pandemic. Standing in long lines on Election Day certainly does not favor the social distancing measures that need to be taken due to the pandemic, and thus more and more people are choosing to vote early. Additionally, at least 30 US states have made adjustments to make it easier for people to vote early and by absentee ballots.
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What is the position of President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden on early voting?
Trump has been claiming since the beginning of the election cycle that mail-in ballots can lead to voter fraud even though he voted early in person in Florida. On the other hand, Democratic candidate Biden has continually encouraged early voting.
Will early voting affect the elections?
An increase in early voting will obviously increase the overall turnout in the elections. This means that the vote count will take much longer and the election results could be delayed. President Trump has also claimed that voting by mail leads to election fraud, although there has been no evidence of fraud in the system. But the election results could be questioned by Trump if they are not in favor of the Republican Party.
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