With less than three weeks until Election Day, early voting has already started in many states across the country, crushing 2016 levels.
It has been one of the most challenging election years in the United States. The Coronavirus pandemic has changed normal voting procedures, and the expansion of mail in voting has not met the demand needed in some states. Lines that are hours long have formed at many polling stations in Texas and Georgia, but people are determined to cast their ballots.
According to the US Elections Project, as of this Tuesday morning, 10.6 million voters across the United States have casted their ballots for president in the upcoming election. This is a significant increase from early voting levels in 2016. By October 16 in 2016, only 1.4 million voters had cast a ballot.
In Texas, early voting began earlier this week. Voters arrived at polling sites to find long lines and wait times to cast their ballots. A record number of voters cast their ballot in one of Texas’ most populated counties. On the first day of early voting, 128,000 people voted in Harris County, according to the county elections office. This was a major increase compared to the first day of voting in 2016, when around 68,000 people voted in that county. This could be due to changes in voting procedures brought on by the pandemic, or overall increases in enthusiasm towards this election.
According to a recent Gallup Poll, 74% of Americans have given “quite a lot of thought” about the upcoming election for president. This is the highest percentage of Americans who have given quite a lot of thought about the presidential election since 2008 when the percentage was at 80. Americans have paid closer attention to this race, and thought carefully about who they are voting for. Also included in this poll, 67% of Americans are more enthusiastic than usual about voting, compared to previous elections. In the party breakdown, 80% of Democrats are more enthusiastic about voting this year, while 75% of Republicans are. Voters are eager to make their voices heard and are voting early.
The level of enthusiasm for this year’s election, and the amount of thought given to it could contribute to the level of importance that Americans view the election. According to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in August, more voters say “it really matters who wins the presidency” than at any point in the last 20 years. Even in 2016, voters did not say that it mattered as much as it does this year who wins the presidency. Pew found that 83% of respondents said that it really matters who wins the presidential election in November. Americans are voting early and in high numbers because they believe that this election is incredibly important.
The 2020 presidential election may be the most important election in our lifetimes. The increase in early voting, level of enthusiasm, and perception of importance all play a role in the outcome of the election.
Amelia Morel 