US Presidential Election: Early In-Person Voting Begins in Three States

With 46 days to go before the US presidential election between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, early in-person voting has commenced in some US states.

According to the Associated Press, early in-person voting has begun in three of the 50 US states, including Virginia, South Dakota, and Minnesota. Although Alabama started sending mail-in ballots to voters on the 11th, these three states are the first to allow voters to cast their ballots in person at polling places.

Among the 50 states in the United States, 47 states, except for Alabama, Mississippi, and New Hampshire, which only offer limited absentee voting to eligible voters, operate an early voting system for all voters.

The proportion of early voting in the United States is increasing, and its importance is highlighted. There is also speculation that early voting will have a significant impact on the outcome in cases where a very close race is expected, such as this presidential election.

According to ABC, the early voting rate in the 2012 presidential election was 33%, but rose to 40% in the 2016 presidential election and 69% in the 2020 presidential election, showing an increasing trend in the number of early voting participants through a combination of in-person voting and by post.

Key Statistics:

• 3 states have begun early in-person voting: Virginia, South Dakota, and Minnesota.
• 47 states operate an early voting system for all voters.
• Early voting rates have increased from 33% in 2012 to 69% in 2020.