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WASHINGTON: More than 70 million Americans have voted in the US presidential election, more than half the total turnout in the 2016 election with a week to Election Day, according to a tally on Tuesday (28 October) from the U.S. Elections Project.
The recount, which shows a record pace that could lead to the largest voter turnout in percentage terms in more than a century, is the latest sign of intense interest in the race between Republican President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden. It also highlights voters’ desire to reduce their risk of exposure to COVID-19 as the pandemic strengthens in the winter.
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Democrats have a significant advantage in early voting due to their acceptance of vote-by-mail, which Republicans have historically cast in large numbers but avoided amid repeated and unfounded attacks from Trump, who says the system is prone to widespread fraud.
In general, Democrats have a two-to-one advantage in early voting numbers. However, Republicans in recent weeks have narrowed the gap in early voting in person, the data shows.
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The high level of early voting has led Michael McDonald, the University of Florida professor who administers the US Elections Project, to predict a record US voter turnout of roughly 150 million, representing 65% of those eligible to vote, the highest rate since 1908.
American voters have already cast far more early votes during this presidential campaign than in all of 2016 when they passed the 47 million mark earlier this month, data shows.
