With two weeks until Election Day, well over 17 million people — roughly a tenth of all registered voters — have already cast their ballots. Many states have set daily records for early voting, offering the clearest sign yet that voting habits were forever changed by the pandemic.
Last presidential election, Democrats dominated the early and mail votes in large part because Donald Trump convinced his supporters that anything but a vote cast in person on Election Day could not be trusted. But this year, the Republican Party has embarked on a multimillion effort to change voters’ minds. And so far, it appears to be working.
Democrats still have a large advantage in early votes in some states, like Pennsylvania, but Republicans are closing the gap. And in North Carolina, which is also a battleground, early voting totals are almost evenly split between the two parties. Take a look at the early votes cast so far in your state.
To be clear, surges in early voting do not necessarily translate into high turnout by Election Day. However, if campaigns know that a voter has already cast their ballot, they can spend their time and money appealing to others.
The Republican uptick comes despite Trump’s mixed messaging on early voting, calling it “stupid stuff” while himself voting early in Florida’s primary. He has repeatedly questioned mail voting in particular, saying without evidence that it is “totally corrupt.”
On the campaign trail
The presidential election is 14 days away.
Both Bill Gates and Jamie Dimon, the JPMorgan C.E.O., back Kamala Harris. But they have sought to keep their support private.
Republicans who led the effort to deny the 2020 election results are now sowing doubt about this year’s vote.
Russia is considering actions to stoke protests and even violence over the U.S. election results, intelligence officials said.
Trump is planning to go on Joe Rogan’s podcast.
Which Republican might join a potential Harris cabinet? We asked around.
The election has taken over TikTok. Here’s what it looks like.