U.S. Election 2024: Record Early Voting and Election Day Trends

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U.S. Election 2024: Record Early Voting and Election Day Trends \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Voting for the 2024 U.S. election started strong on Tuesday, following unprecedented early voting across eastern and central states. With over 82 million early ballots, fueled by significant Republican participation, key states like Georgia and North Carolina saw record turnout. Despite some minor Election Day delays, voting continued smoothly as election officials worked to keep the process secure and organized.

U.S. Election 2024: Quick Looks

Over 82 million Americans cast ballots before Election Day.
Key battleground states saw record early voting numbers.
Republican-led efforts increased early voter turnout for the GOP.
Election Day issues were minimal, with reports of rain, tech delays, and power issues.
Claims of fraud continue from Trump, with few incidents confirmed.
Foreign disinformation, particularly from Russia, aimed to sway voters online.

Deep Look

On Tuesday morning, as polling stations opened for Election Day across the eastern and central United States, many Americans were already in line to vote, following a historic surge in early voting. Tens of millions had cast ballots before Election Day, with unprecedented turnout across various battleground states like Georgia and North Carolina, regions that could play a pivotal role in deciding the election’s outcome.

In Georgia alone, over 4 million voters took advantage of early voting opportunities. This robust early turnout led a high-ranking official in the Georgia Secretary of State’s office to suggest that Election Day itself could see fewer in-person voters, almost creating a “ghost town” effect at some polling places.

Nationwide, the Associated Press recorded around 82 million early ballots cast by Monday, a figure representing over half the total ballots counted in the previous presidential election four years ago. Much of this early voting came from Republican voters, who were encouraged by a GOP-led push led by former President Donald Trump and the Republican National Committee. This initiative aimed to boost early Republican participation in response to Democrats’ traditional early voting advantage.

As Election Day progressed, voters across the country showed high turnout despite weather challenges in some areas. In Houston, Texas, voters lined up with umbrellas in hand, braving heavy rain to exercise their civic rights. Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams reported minor delays at several voting locations due to electronic poll book technicalities, though these were quickly resolved and did not interfere significantly with the voting process. By midday, the in-person voting and mail-in ballots had continued smoothly, with only isolated technical glitches and minor disruptions, typical of any large-scale election.

One notable exception to this general smoothness was in areas impacted by Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina. Despite power outages, compromised water supplies, and damaged infrastructure, state and local election officials undertook a considerable effort to ensure that residents in affected areas could still access polling stations. The Republican-led state legislature had recently passed changes that made it easier for local election boards to prepare for such challenges. By the close of early voting on Saturday, more than 4.4 million voters, approximately 57% of registered North Carolinians, had cast their ballots. In the 25 counties hardest hit by the hurricane, turnout was even higher, with 59% of registered voters participating. Karen Brinson Bell, Executive Director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections, commended the dedication of both voters and election workers, calling their resilience “an inspiration to us all.”

Despite the positive progress of the election, minor incidents have disrupted the process. In one case, two ballot drop boxes near the Oregon-Washington border were damaged in arson attacks, and local law enforcement officials continue their search for those responsible.

Even though the election has proceeded with few issues, Trump and his allies have continued to claim potential fraud, raising concerns over election integrity without providing supporting evidence. For instance, Trump recently mischaracterized an investigation in Pennsylvania, where authorities are reviewing approximately 2,500 suspicious voter registration applications. Trump incorrectly described these as fraudulent ballots, even though the investigation is focused solely on registration forms, not actual ballots.

Further challenges arose in Georgia, where Republican operatives attempted to restrict the delivery of mailed ballots to local election offices by the close of Election Day. Although state law allows voters to return mail-in ballots to their local offices until polls close, a judge ultimately rejected the lawsuit over the weekend, affirming voters’ rights to submit ballots according to the law.

Trump and several Republican leaders also cautioned against what they described as Democratic recruitment of noncitizen voters, despite consistent research that shows such cases are exceedingly rare. Noncitizen voting can lead to felony charges and deportation, a severe consequence that deters most from attempting to participate unlawfully. In Michigan, however, authorities recently charged a noncitizen student from China with casting an early illegal ballot, underscoring the rarity of such cases but also the legal mechanisms in place to address them.

The 2024 election marks the first presidential contest since Trump’s defeat to Joe Biden in 2020, an outcome Trump and his supporters have consistently challenged. Following his loss, Trump made various attempts to contest the results, culminating in the Capitol riots on January 6, 2021, as Congress met to certify Biden’s victory. These efforts have had a lasting effect on the Republican base, with a majority of GOP supporters still expressing doubt over Biden’s legitimacy. A recent survey from the Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that Republicans were considerably more skeptical than Democrats regarding the accuracy of vote counts in the current election.

In response to these ongoing doubts, Republican lawmakers across the U.S. have introduced new voting restrictions. Since 2020, states with Republican-controlled legislatures have implemented measures to shorten the period available to apply for and return mail-in ballots, reduce the number of ballot drop boxes, and impose additional voter ID requirements. These measures aim to address voter confidence in election security, even though studies and audits have consistently shown minimal evidence of widespread fraud.

During the final weekend before Election Day, Trump once again claimed, without evidence, that the election was being manipulated against him. He further stated that the winner should be announced on Election Night, regardless of whether all ballots had been counted. His remarks followed a pattern of statements meant to undermine confidence in mail-in voting, a voting method increasingly popular among Americans. Vice President Kamala Harris responded by urging voters not to be swayed by Trump’s narrative, asserting that such tactics were meant to cast doubt on the electoral system. Harris encouraged voters who had already cast ballots to continue motivating friends and family to participate.

Over the past four years, election officials nationwide have faced mounting challenges, including harassment, threats, and the spread of conspiracy theories. These pressures have led many election workers to leave their posts, prompting increased security measures for polling places, including the installation of panic buttons and bulletproof glass at certain sites.

In terms of cybersecurity, no significant threats have been reported that could affect vote tallies. However, U.S. intelligence officials warned of foreign disinformation campaigns, particularly from Russia, that continue to circulate fake news and fraudulent videos aimed at stirring political tensions in swing states. On the eve of the election, federal agencies and U.S. intelligence issued a joint advisory highlighting Russia’s ongoing efforts to influence the U.S. election, possibly even after Election Day.

Jen Easterly, the head of U.S. election security, emphasized the importance of seeking accurate information from state and local election officials, particularly in a climate rife with disinformation. She noted that foreign entities, especially adversaries like Russia, have ramped up disinformation at unprecedented levels to undermine public trust. “We cannot allow our foreign adversaries to have a vote in our democracy,” Easterly said, underlining the need for vigilance.