US Elections: 21 Million Already Voted?

Two weeks before the U.S. presidential elections, 21 million Americans have already voted amid a fierce competition between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.

According to the University of Florida’s Election Lab, around 7.8 million votes were cast in-person early, while over 13.3 million were mailed in.

Unlike in India, where campaigning stops before voting starts, U.S. voting and campaigning happen together for about four weeks.

The elections are set for November 5, with results likely hinging on seven key states: Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Georgia.

Early voting allows Americans to cast their votes either by mail or at polling places that open weeks ahead of Election Day.

However, early voting is low among Asian Americans, with only 1.7% participating. Still, many Indian Americans are lining up to vote, like Chanchal and Vandana Jhingan in Chicago.

Interestingly, more Republicans are voting early than expected, as they’ve encouraged their supporters to do so. This is a shift from four years ago when Trump criticized non-in-person voting methods.

Currently, 41.3% of early in-person voters are Republicans, while 33.6% are Democrats. The numbers are nearly even for mail-in ballots.

In Georgia, one-fourth of voters have already cast their ballots, indicating a record turnout, as many voters prefer early voting.

Georgia’s Secretary of State predicts that 65% to 70% of Georgians may vote early this election.