Numbers suggest a record turnout ahead.
Early voting numbers show that Americans are rushing to cast ballots ahead of the November 3 election at an unprecedented pace.
According to the United States Elections Project, which compiles early voting data, more than 4 million Americans have already voted with four weeks to go before Election Day. That number is more than 50 times the 75,000 at the same time in 2016.
The shift is being driven by an expansion of early and mail-in voting in many states as a safe way to cast a ballot during the COVID-19 pandemic combined with an eagerness to weigh in on the political future of President Trump.
Michael McDonald of the University of Florida, who administers the project, said, “We’ve never seen this many people voting so far ahead of an election. People cast their ballots when they make up their minds, and we know that many people made up their minds long ago and already have a judgment about Trump.”
The numbers reported so far come from 31 states. It will grow rapidly as more states begin early in-person voting and report absentee mail-in totals in the next weeks.
The early surge has led McDonald to predict a record turnout of about 150 million, representing 65 percent of eligible voters, the highest rate since 1908 when William Howard Taft defeated William Jennings Bryan. “Every piece of data suggests very high turnout for this election,” he said.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For voters who have not yet cast their ballots to approach their decisions prayerfully and vote in accordance with their national and personal values.
- For an absence of fraud or irregularities in this year’s voting.
- For President Trump, former Vice President Biden, and the other candidates as they continue to try to persuade voters on reasons to vote for them.
Sources: Reuters, CBS News
