Early voting has begun in some US states

Photo by AFP

Early voting began in the US states of Virginia, South Dakota and Minnesota on Friday, September 20, with voters choosing between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, Agence France-Presse reports.

The in-person voting marks the end of a bitter campaign that has seen Harris replace President Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee over the past two months, while Trump narrowly escaped two assassination attempts: one in Pennsylvania and a second on Sunday, September 15, at his golf club in Florida.

While Trump has often expressed skepticism about early voting in the past, the Republican National Committee this year has embraced the concept as an important way to gather votes early, since weather and other factors can impact turnout on Election Day on Nov. 5.

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Democrats have taken advantage of early voting in recent elections, garnering millions of votes in the process.

According to the U.S. Elections Project, University of Florida, in 2018, Democrats accounted for 41 percent of early votes in the 24 states that provide data by party affiliation, compared with 35.1 percent for Republicans.

In 2022, that gap has widened: Democrats accounted for 42.5 percent of early ballots, while Republicans accounted for 33.8 percent.

Each of the country's 50 states has its own voting procedures: early voting by mail or in person, voting on Election Day, or a combination of the three. In addition to choosing the next president, voters also cast ballots in local and state elections.

By Sergey Daga