America’s election season is finally here, and there’s no turning back. Despite former President Trump’s historically mixed stance on early voting, Republican voters are turning out in volume, outpacing Democrats in Arizona, Nevada, and North Carolina. The surge has helped smash early voting records, with more than 44M Americans already casting their ballots through early voting and mail-in options — that’s over 25% of all votes in 2020.

• Early voting shows a diverse mix, with 40% supporting Democrats, 36% backing Republicans, and 23% casting votes for unaffiliated or minor party candidates.
• Republicans in Arizona have rebounded from their 2020 deficit, now leading early voting by reversing the previous 120K-vote gap, while Democrats in Pennsylvania maintain a strong lead with 60% of the 1.2M early votes.

Forward-looking: As of Aug. 2024, 28 states mandate some form of voting leave, with 21 of these offering paid leave. However, the impact of these laws is diminishing due to the variety of voting options now common across the US, allowing more flexibility for voters. According to the Associated Press tracker of early voting tallies, “This year, enthusiasm still appears high in several battleground states.” The Harris campaign interprets these figures as existing Trump supporters simply voting earlier rather than the opposition expanding their base — a conclusion that will only be tested come Election Day on Nov. 5.