Nearly half of those who voted in 2020 have already voted in this election

As of the Sunday before Election Day, more than 75 million Americans had already cast their ballots, representing more than 48% of the total number of voters in the 2020 election, where 154.6 million people participated, according to a report by Axios. This significant number reflects a notable shift in voting habits, with more and more voters opting for early voting or by mail, cementing these methods as a new normal in the U.S. election process.

A growing trend

The 2022 midterm elections marked a turning point in early voting, with nearly half of voters choosing this option, far surpassing pre-pandemic turnout figures. This pattern of behavior indicates that citizens are increasingly willing to take advantage of opportunities to vote before Election Day, which could be motivated by a desire to avoid crowds.

Revealing state data

In the state of Georgia, more than 4 million people have already voted, representing nearly 80% of the total recorded turnout in 2020. According to the University of Florida Election Lab's early voting tracker, the situation is similar in North Carolina, where more than 4.4 million citizens have cast their ballots, also reaching 80% of the total 2020 turnout in this state considered key to the election.

Critics of absentee voting

Despite the notable increase in early voting, the Republican Party has expressed fundamental concerns about vote-by-mail voting. Party leaders warn that this method can facilitate voter fraud and manipulation, highlighting the need to protect the integrity of the electoral process, which is essential to democracy.

Donald Trump and his allies have emphasized that changes to voting regulations implemented during the pandemic allowed ballots to be sent out without the necessary signature verifications, thus weakening the mechanisms that normally prevent fraud. The change has sparked widespread debate about election security.

Cleta Mitchell, an attorney and founder of Election Integrity Network, has argued that various activist groups have interfered with the election systems of multiple states, which, in her assessment, severely compromised the integrity of the election process in 2020.

Democratic advantage in early voting

According to the latest data in states reporting party registration figures, Democrats have a slight advantage in early voting, with 37.9% of votes cast compared to 36.2% for Republicans, according to the University of Florida Election Lab's tally. This dynamic may influence election results, especially in states where every vote counts.