Two charts and a map to help make sense of all the early voting data
The pandemic-era 2020 election had the highest ever early vote totals, at more than 101 million, or 63% of all votes cast. But beside 2020, the share of early votes has remained steady since 2012, even as early vote totals have increased. In 2012 and 2016, early votes were about 36% of all votes.
This comes as more states offer more options for people to cast their ballot: In 2000, fewer than half the states offered early voting, and as of 2024, only three states — Alabama, Mississippi and New Hampshire — don’t offer in-person early voting.
Though many states have made it easier to vote early, many have also created new identification qualifications for in-person voting.
One way to see how prevalent voting early is in a particular state is to compare its latest early vote count with how many people voted there in the 2020 presidential election.
It’s important to not misread early vote numbers or read too much into who has voted thus far. There is still time for the numbers to shift. And then, of course, there’s Election Day on Tuesday.
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