In a trend that started in 2000, the allure of early voting has witnessed an unprecedented surge. Notably, more than half of the United States population now resides in a state that endorses voting before the official Election Day. As an stark contrast to the 2000 general election, where a mere 24 states offered early in-person voting, recent statistics reveal a striking increment.
Since the onset of the year, a total of eleven states have implemented fourteen laws designed to broaden the scope of voting. This recent development underpins the empirically proven fact that casting a vote has become significantly easier for Americans since 2000. According to the Centre for Election Innovation and Research, we are witnessing the placement of accessible voting as an integral aspect of our democracy.
We are seeing increasingly liberal voting laws that seek to enhance accessibility to absentee voting, with mail-in ballots being a popular choice. Amidst the worldwide disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, an overwhelming count of 100 million Americans took to early voting in the presidential election of 2020, as reported by the Washington Post.
Early voting bears a distinct advantage for immunocompromised individuals, those who face transportation challenges, or anyone unable to physically cast a vote in person on Election Day. Regardless of the motive behind casting an early ballot, experts highlight the flexibility it offers to potential voters and the surge in voter participation it consequently fosters.
As of now, a whopping majority of states, precisely 46 states, along with Washington, D.C., provide the option of early in-person voting, as per a report from the Centre for Election Innovation and Research. Notably, out of these jurisdictions, 37 permit voters to mail in their ballots without demanding a justification.
Interestingly, the available statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau indicate that the 46 states along with Washington, D.C., that extend the facility of early in-person voting account for a massive majority of approximately 97% of the current population of voting-age citizens in the U.S.
Where development seems to appear on one hand, there also exist states putting hurdles for the voters. Not surprisingly, the majority are spearheaded by Republican-led legislatures. There are 14 states that still do not offer the mail-in voting option freely to all citizens, and 12 of them are governed by Republicans, according to a past NPR report.
The trend of casting votes before the official Election Day, either via mail or in person, has rapidly gained popularity since the inception of this millennium. Significantly, the U.S. Census Bureau reports a drastic increase in the percentage of voters utilizing mail-in ballots, soaring from 10.2% in 2000 to an impressive 31.8% recently.
During the global health crisis caused by COVID-19, the popularity of early voting exploded, as flagged by the 69% of voters who cast their ballot before Election Day. And in 2022, an astonishing half of all voters exercised their democratic right before the official voting day.
As we approach the 2024 elections, new voting laws have been enacted, altering voting rights in various ways. Some have brought about easier voting access, while others have unfortunately made it tougher for citizens to vote. These changes have been most profound in key battleground states across the nation.
Post the 2020 presidential election, a count of ten states has constructed discouraging obstacles for voters to apply for absentee, or mail-in, ballots by reducing the application window. In addition, eight states have decreased the availability of ballot drop boxes; this includes the potential swing states of Georgia and North Carolina.
Furthermore, states like Iowa, Ohio, and Florida, which are home to several competitive downballot races, have also seen restrictions placed on early voting. This can have potential ramifications on the democratic process and the rights of citizens to exercise their votes comfortably and flexibly.
Contradictorily, this very year saw as many as eleven states enacting fourteen laws to expand voting accessibility. This includes states like Virginia, Washington, and Oregon, which pass two laws each, as documented by the Brennan Center for Justice in its 2024 voting laws roundup.