The number of Americans voting early in person for their presidential candidate of choice has surpassed the total number that did so in 2020.
So far, more than 38 million U.S. voters have gone in-person to vote, according to the latest data from the University of Florida’s Election Lab. Four years ago, that number was just over 35 million.
Early voting data is being analyzed to better predict the outcome of the election, with different trends being pulled out to gage a better understanding of whether former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris will be victorious on November 5.
While the number of in-person votes is higher this year, the overall number of early votes this year is still a long way behind the 101 million early votes in 2020, which also includes mail-in ballots. As of Saturday, just over 72 million people had already cast their vote.
The Associated Press reported that overall, two thirds of voters cast their ballot early in 2020, which was thought to partly down to COVID-19. The pandemic created a need to reduce large gatherings and close-contact situations, including at polling places. Voting by mail or early helped to minimize the risk of spreading the virus, as people could vote safely from home or at less crowded times.
Despite not exceeding the number of early votes in 2020 yet, early voting figures have surpassed those of 2016 and the 2022 midterm elections.
One of the trends shown in early voting data this year is the noticeable gender gap, with 54 percent of early voters so far being women, according to the Election Lab and based on states that report gender data.
Other trends identified in the early voting data is that this year more Republicans are voting early than in 2020.
When Trump faced Joe Biden, 30 percent of early voters were Republicans while almost 45 percent were Democrats.
That gap has narrowed so far this year, as 36 percent of the early voters have been Republican, while 38 percent have been Democrats.
Another difference in voting patterns between this year’s election and the one four years ago, is that where young people were more likely to vote early in 2020, this year only eight percent of early voters have been aged between 18-25, according to the Center For Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE).
CIRCLE found that 70 percent of young Americans voted early in 2020, which was more than those between the ages of 30 and 44.
It was those over the age of 65 that had the highest rate of early voting, which the center believed was due to concerns about their higher vulnerability to COVID-19.
This year, it is those between the ages of 41 to 60 that have secured the highest percentage of early voters, at 39 percent.
In the middle of October, Trump edged ahead over his Democratic opponent in the early voting data, but by the end of the last month, Harris took the lead.
A USA Today and Suffolk University survey found that the vice president was up 63 percent to Trump’s 34 percent among early voters at the end of October, but also found Trump was leading 52 percent to 35 percent among those planning to vote on Election Day.
Do you have a story Newsweek should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact [email protected].
The post In-Person Early Voting Surpasses 2020 Total appeared first on Newsweek.
