US voting methods shift: Mail-in and early options gain ground
Voting practices in America show significant regional differences. States have adopted various ballot-casting methods‚ including mail-in‚ early voting‚ and traditional Election Day polling. This diversity reflects a changing landscape in US electoral processes
In the United States voting landscape has changed a lot over the past few years. Different states now have their own ways of doing things‚ which means how you vote depends on where you live.
Take Washington and Idaho for example. In the elections about 2 years ago almost everyone in Washington voted by mail. But in Idaho‚ two-thirds of people went to vote on Election Day. Its not just those two states that are different: Texas had most people voting early‚ while Oklahoma had more than 4 out of 5 voters show up on Election Day.
The way we vote started changing a lot around 4 years ago (during the pandemic) Many states made it easier to vote by mail as a safer option. This sped up a change that was already happening – people moving away from voting on Election Day. That year more than 40% of votes were mailed in‚ up from 21% about 8 years before.
Some places liked mail voting so much they kept it. Nevada‚ Vermont and Washington D.C. made it permanent. Overall about one-third of votes in the country were mailed in 2 years ago. But mail voting isnt new everywhere – states like Oregon Washington and Colorado have been doing it for a long time.
Early voting is also getting more popular. In 4 Southern states (including North Carolina and Georgia) most people voted before Election Day 2 years ago. Early voting has already started in Texas which doesnt let many people vote by mail. Across the country early voting has gone from just 4% of votes about 24 years ago to nearly 20% 2 years ago.
But Election Day voting isnt going away. In almost 20 states‚ its still the most common way to vote. This includes important swing states like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Even though more people in these states are voting by mail than before the pandemic its not as many as 4 years ago.
Some states use a mix of all three ways to vote. Michigan (another key state) now has to offer at least 9 days of early voting. Maryland and Massachusetts which didnt have much mail voting before now get about a quarter to a third of their votes that way.
Overseas voting‚ which includes voting by military personnel
Alaska has the most overseas voters of any state. Some politicians have strong opinions about this kind of voting.
The way Americans vote keeps changing. As we get closer to the next election (in about 2-3 weeks) its clear that where you live plays a big role in how youll cast your ballot
