More than 55 million people have cast their ballots either in person or by mail during early voting, providing their input on the presidential contest and down-ballot races before Election Day on November 5. Data gathered by the University of Florida Election Lab reveals that over 29 million early votes have been cast in person at polling places, with another 25.9 million mail ballots returned. Additionally, there were over 65.6 million mail ballots requested. Registered Democrats have a slightly higher turnout, with just under 11 million votes compared to nearly 10 million registered Republicans, based on data from 25 states reporting party registration. Of those who have voted in person during early voting, 3.8 million are registered Republicans, and 3.1 million are registered Democrats.
In terms of mail-in voting, more Democrats—7.3 million—have returned ballots compared to just over 5.6 million registered GOP voters, according to the University of Florida Election Lab. In Georgia, a battleground state, over 3 million people have already voted, representing 45% of registered voters in the state, according to data from Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s office. Raffensperger stated that this is the best turnout during the early voting period that the state has seen, emphasizing that it is easy to cast a ballot but hard to cheat.
Republicans have been urging their supporters to vote before Election Day in states where early voting is permitted. Former President Donald Trump and the Republican National Committee have been promoting absentee voting or in-person voting, despite Trump criticizing early voting in past rallies. Trump has expressed his intention to vote on Election Day in Palm Beach, Florida, as confirmed by former first lady Melania Trump. She mentioned plans to vote with her husband on Election Day and expressed hope for a successful outcome.
Some notable figures who have already cast their ballots include President Biden, who voted early in person near Wilmington, Delaware, and Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz, who voted with his family in St. Paul, Minnesota. The 2024 general election marked the first time voting for Gus Walz, the governor’s son, who recently turned 18. The increasing voter turnout during early voting suggests heightened engagement with the electoral process and the importance of exercising one’s right to vote.
