At least four states, including Texas, have already surpassed their total 2016 general election voter turnout before Election Day, according to the U.S. Elections Project.
More than 9.7 million ballots have already been cast in the 2020 general election in the Lone Star State, 8.3 percent more than four years ago. Meanwhile, more than 3.5 million people have voted in Washington state, 5.4 percent above its tally in 2016.
Approximately 484,000 ballots have already been cast in Hawaii, representing a 10.6 percent increase in the votes cast in the 2016 election. And 529,000 ballots have been cast in Montana, 2.4 percent more than its total voter turnout four years ago.
Meanwhile, eight other states — Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Georgia, Florida and North Carolina — have already passed 90 percent of their total 2016 general election turnout, according to the U.S. Elections Project.
The 2020 numbers come amid a surge of early voting and mail-in voting driven by the coronavirus pandemic. The high turnout likely means narrow margins in key battleground states such as Pennsylvania, observers say.
More than 99.6 million people have already voted in the election, representing more than 72.3 percent of all ballots cast in 2016. The U.S. will likely cross the 100 million ballot mark with the push from in-person voting on Tuesday.
Source : The Hill
