More than 100 million Americans cast early ballots this election cycle, doubling the total who did so in 2016.
As the U.S. nears the conclusion of Election Day, upwards of 100.7 million voters have cast early or absentee ballots this cycle, according to data from the NBC News Decision Desk/TargetSmart, a Democratic political data firm.
That means that in just early voting, turnout has reached nearly 75 percent of what it was in all of 2016, when about 136.5 million ballots were cast.
All age demographics are seeing a marked increase in early voting in 2020 as compared to 2016, with states expanding early and absentee voting in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic. Those who did not or could not vote in 2016 are skewing Democratic so far, both nationally and in a majority of the key swing states.
Polling shows 2020 Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden with a large lead among early voters in key states and President Donald Trump holding an edge with those who have yet to vote.
Registered Democrats are leading registered Republicans in the early vote in critical states like Arizona, Florida, Iowa, Minnesota, Nevada, North Carolina and Pennsylvania while Republicans are up in Georgia, Michigan, Ohio, Texas and Wisconsin. Much of the swing state-level polling shows independents breaking toward Biden.
