The 1972 election saw almost all voters casting their ballots in person on Election Day, but over the next 50 years, the number of people opting for early and mail-in voting has steadily increased. In 2020, early voting options were expanded due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a significant increase in mail-in voting. This trend has continued into the 2022 midterm elections, with Democrats primarily utilizing mail voting and Republicans favoring in-person Election Day voting.
Advance voting, which includes both mail-in and in-person early voting, has become highly politicized in recent years. The 2020 election saw a sharp divide in voting methods along party lines, with Democrat Joe Biden garnering more mail-in votes and Republican President Donald Trump performing better in in-person voting.
The increase in advance voting options has led to a split in confidence levels among Republicans and Democrats, with many Republicans expressing doubts about the accuracy of mail-in voting. Trump’s rhetoric against mail voting has likely contributed to this divide.
As the 2024 election approaches, advance voting has already begun in many states, with absentee voting starting in mid-September. The impact of advance voting on the election outcome remains to be seen, but the trend of increasing early and mail-in voting is expected to continue.
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