More American Voters Embrace Early Voting Before Election Day But Partisan Divide Remains High

With two weeks to go before the elections, there is an increasing preference among U.S. voters for early voting. However, there is still a significant partisan divide when it comes to doing so.

The findings come from a new NBC News survey. Conducted between October 4 and 8, it reveals that 5% of registered voters have already cast their ballots—3% by mail and 2% in person. Additionally, 47% of respondents plan to vote early, with 20% opting for mail-in ballots and 27% choosing to vote in person.

Overall, 52% of voters plan to cast their ballots early, while 44% intend to vote on Election Day. These figures align closely with a similar poll conducted during the 2022 midterm elections, which found that 49% favored early voting compared to 47% who preferred voting on Election Day. The NBC News poll surveyed 1,000 registered voters, with 898 reached by cellphone, and it has an overall margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

This enthusiasm for early voting represents an increase from 2016 but a decline compared to the 2020 presidential election, during which over 100 million voters cast their ballots early due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. At that time, 59% of voters planned to cast their ballots by early October, a figure that rose to 68% by the end of the month. In contrast, only 41% expressed intent to vote early in early November 2016, reflecting fewer early voting options at that time.

The poll illustrates a stark partisan split regarding voting preferences. Vice President Kamala Harris leads among early voters by 17 points, securing 57% of the support compared to former President Donald Trump's 40%. This advantage extends to mail-in voters, where Harris holds a substantial lead, although the margin is narrower among those planning to vote in person early.

Conversely, Trump shows strong support among those intending to vote on Election Day, leading by a significant 21-point margin—58% to 37%. Additionally, 3% of those polled are unsure how they will vote, and 1% indicated they will not participate in the election.