Early voting hits new low compared to 2020: Especially not comforting for Democrats

It may seem like massive numbers are pouring in during the early voting season, considering Republican political strategist John Couvillon’s recent updates on the scene estimating that 4.2 million Americans have already cast their ballots. However, these stats are next to nothing compared to the previous election cycle, when ultimately 158.6 million votes were cast in 2020, per the New York Post.

Early voting is, in fact, down 45% as attested by Couvilon’s numbers, which are expected to rise in the coming weeks with voters having access to in-person early-voting centres. However, even then the final tally is estimated to fall short of 2020 figures.

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With the presidential election less than a month away, many voters have had the option to cast their ballots before D-Day, November 5. The options for in-person and mail voting vary by state. Alabama was the first state to kickstart the early voting process on September 11. Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, Mississippi, North Carolina, Michigan, Nebraska and more (mostly mail-in ballots) followed suit later that month. Meanwhile, other states started in-person early voting this month.

This procedure especially caught the attention in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic was in full swing. Early voting then offered people the chance to avoid crowding, presumably also the reason why over 100 million voters cast their ballots in advance.

However, this time, the numbers have significantly taken a hit. The Post reported that there's even been a surprising decline in requests for mail ballots: down by 58% from 2020 in states that don’t send mail ballots to all voters.

Georgia and North Carolina have especially witnessed the fall, with reported declines of 84% and 75%, respectively.

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Bad news for Democrats?

As of Thursday, October 10, 459,000 people had voted in person since late September. This represents a roughly 4% decline from the same point in 2020. These overall waning numbers are, in some ways, attributed to the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. However, the population centres of both states have remained most unaffected by the storm’s devastating impact.

Tens of millions of people are waiting for the final days of the campaign to punch in their votes, disheartening news is brewing for Democrats. Mail ballot requests are down in three Midwestern blue-wall states: Wisconsin (59%), Pennsylvania (36%), and Michigan (24%). In 2020, Joe Biden won over Pennsylvania. However, popularity surveys are now insinuating that Kamala Harris’ support has dropped among African American males in the US state.

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