Why is voting before the deadline in US elections referred to as 'early voting'?
It seems deliberately confusing to me since there is no fundamental difference between voting now and voting on the day of the deadline, but the way it's discussed and referred to seems to imply that the correct day to vote would be waiting until the last minute instead of voting just getting it out of the way weeks ahead of time.
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Historically, all regular voting was done in-person on election day and mail-in ballots were a special exception (e.g., for people with disabilities). It’s only in the last few election cycles that voting by mail became the norm, and most people still use the pre-existing terminology.
Upvoted for correct, accurate, and complete information. I really don't have much to add, other than to say good work!
The question was about early voting though? Voting by mail is only a small piece of the early voting total in most states
I've voted 'early, in every election I've participated in. For as long as I've known, which is about to be 4 presidential and all of the elections in between, the polls have always been open for weeks.
That's approaching 20 years, I don't think it's a new concept really at this point.
That's less than 10% of the country's life. Just because you didn't exist before you were born does not mean that others did not.
.......20 years.......4 presidential elections?
Did you miss a few? Or am I worse at math than I thought?
Both answers are correct. 20 years divides into 5 sets of 4, but that' would only be 5 elections if you started counting on an election year.
"Approaching 20 years" so exactly 20 years ago is 2004, which makes 5 elections not counting the present one: Bush Jr. 2.0, Obama, Obama 2.0, Trump, Biden. Figuring this person turned 18 and registered to vote in, say 2006 and missed voting in the 2004 election, that would be 18 years and 4 elections, this current one would be 5.
Sorry 15 years 2010 midterm and forward.
It’s a state-level policy, and there were a few states ahead of the curve.
I like to think we're doing it right, and possibly setting an example for other states to follow. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/michigan-blazes-path-pro-democracy-reform
Not every state allows it and if they do it has to be a special reason in most states. So you must live in a lucky state or had an excuse every year