2024 Presidential Election Voting Kicks Off
As the fall season settles over the nation, a new wave of change is sweeping across the US. Early voting for the 2024 presidential election is well underway, marking the beginning of what may prove to be one of the most consequential electoral processes in recent American history, as many a political analyst has come to refer to it.
From California coasts to the streets of New York City, well in advance of Tuesday's official Election Day on November 5th, citizens are flocking to cast their ballots.
Early Voting Begins
Early voting, which kicked off as early as September 20th in states such as Minnesota and Virginia, has already provided insights into the mood and motivations of the American electorate. As of October 22nd, 2024, early voting has gotten underway in more than 30 states, with the rest to follow in the coming days and weeks.
This extended period of voting does many things: it reduces pressure on Election Day resources, cuts down long lines at the polling places, and gives more flexibility to those voters who may find it inconvenient to cast a ballot on one specific day.
Building on various lessons learnt from the 2020 election, also fraught with the COVID-19 pandemic, many states updated their processes of early voting and expanded them to ensure a smooth and accessible voting process.
Democracy in Operation
In Asheville, North Carolina, people began lining up outside the Dr. Wesley Grant Southside Community Centre on Oct. 17. The young professionals, retirees, first-time voters, and lifelong civic participants stood in a crowd that reflected the great variance in the American electorate.
Meanwhile, in Knoxville, Tennessee, the Downtown West polling location bustled with activity as its volunteer workers guided voters efficiently.
The state of Georgia, which has been at the highlight of election talk in the past years, saw record numbers for early voting. The lines for Georgians across the state to vote at polling stations are nothing short of demonstrations of how key the state has become in national politics.
The Face of First-Time Voters
High first-time voter turnout is one of the most encouraging early voting results. Reese Legg in Knoxville, Tennessee, expressed the rights of the next generation by exercising the voting right for the first time.
Another tender moment was witnessed and recorded in Hamilton County, Ohio, where an eighteen-year-old, Tamara Munoz of North Avondale, embraced the dream of many by ringing the first-time voter bell. This is a tradition that is implemented in different ways across the states in reference to welcoming new members in the electoral process. The ringing of the bell forms a boundary that produces convergence toward the constant reinvention of democratic engagement.
Consequently, these first-time voters are a strategic target group of the 2024 election. Having been born in the early 2000s, they have grown up during a period of sharply diverging politics, the world crisis, advancing technology, and much more. Their agendas and values may shape this election and the political future.
Seasoned Citizens
While first-time voters exert significant energy to cast their votes, it is the regular voters who serve as the backbone of the electoral process. John “Dr. Vote” Olsen received his ballot at the Polk County Election Office in Des Moines, Iowa. The nickname Olsen has earned through years of working with the voting process perfectly reflects the dedication of numerous active voters.
Such experienced voters are likely to provide political history in the voting booth. People have witnessed numerous political shifts over the years, from the civil rights movement to the dissolution of the Cold War, from the innovations of the World Wide Web to the fight against global terrorism and climate change.
The steadfastness of these citizens in their support for the much-lauded American democracy is noteworthy.
Adapting to Challenges
The early 2024 election season is already showing its challenges. A polling place in Augusta, Georgia moved to the Henry H Brigham Senior Center when a community Centre remained a hurricane shelter. Communities meeting the needs of voters, even during disasters, are, once again, the truest demonstration of America’s resilience.
In addition, one of the voting locations that was identified as a community center was still in use as a storm shelter after the recent natural calamities.
Unfazed by the situation, the election officials immediately moved the polling station to the Henry H. Brigham Senior Centre, thus making voting unhampered all through.
The Impact of Mail-In and Absentee Voting
Despite much emphasis placed on early voting through in-person, mail, and absentee voting, it is also something that cannot be overlooked. Since the COVID-19 pandemic recommended their use during the 2020 election, many states have remained willing and able to provide or even increase the availability of these options.
As is evident in Oregon, Washington, and Colorado, where mail-in voting has been a tradition, many people have become accustomed to this form of voting.
However, in the other states, the expansion of service connections has been welcomed in equal proportion with the development of the controversy. Its proponents say that it leads to increased accessibility and participation, while critics think it increases the risk of security breaches and fraud.
By October 2024, election officials across the country reported that almost double the number of voters as those who voted in the previous presidential election have requested mail-in ballots. This seems to demonstrate that voters appreciate the ability to cast ballots on their own time from the comfort of their homes. It also imposes new burdens on election officials in terms of ballot processing and result tabulation.
The Role of Technology in Modern Elections
This year, there have been noticeable changes in the voting processes, including the integration of technology for the upcoming 2024 election. Some of the states have already adopted electronic poll books for fast identification of the voters; others have adopted electronic voting machines with a vouching system of printing.
Some places offer voters the choice of computers that work like tablets with light touch inputting, which are useful for people who might be nervous about filling out a paper ballot. All these technologies are intended to ease the voting process and still ensure that the election process is not compromised.
However, there has always been controversy surrounding the use of technology in elections. Computer security professionals express concerns about the potential for hackers to hack or manipulate electronic voting systems.
Therefore, most states have taken adequate measures to enhance the security features of the vote and to have a backup system.
Voter Education and Outreach
Voter education and persuasion have been a focal point of the 2024 election cycle more than any other event. Hence, knowing the difficulty of the process and the significance of being informed, many state and non-partisan organizations have initiated massive efforts to educate voters.
Such campaigns entail a broad list of topics that extends from the physical process of voting to candidate and ballot measure details. Of all the forms of campaigning, the most popular today is the use of social networks, where election officials as well as other civic organizations target young voters.
It is common to find information kiosks or professionally staffed volunteers to help instruct you at early voting sites. This emphasis is meant to help voters minimize situations where they could be misled or accidentally make a wrong choice and thus be stripped of their right to vote.
The Impact of New Voting Laws
Ahead of the 2024 election, several US states have recently implemented new voting laws, such as longer early voting periods, automatic voter registration, tougher voter ID requirements, and other rules that restrict mail-in voting. People have closely monitored the new laws as they unfolded in the early voting window to see how they affect voter turnout and access.
In other states, new laws have been passed that have either expanded or simplified the voting process.
For example, several different states have recently enacted same-day voter registration legislation, which helps to make the process simpler by employing a system where one can register to vote on the very same day that they choose to cast their ballot.
This is especially popular with members of the election demographic group known as young voters, or first-time voters, who often move residences to college and wind up voting in a new jurisdiction for the first time.
On the other side of the debate, some states have tightened voting requirements in the name of election integrity. As with enhanced ID laws, these changes have also generated significant legal bills and a contentious debate regarding the appropriate tension between security and access in our electoral process.
How You Can Vote Early
Planning to cast your vote early in the upcoming election?
The United States government website, USA.gov, offers a comprehensive resource on early voting. It provides information on eligibility, deadlines, and how to find your local early voting location.
Whether you prefer in-person early voting or want to learn about absentee voting options, USA.gov can guide you through the process and empower you to participate in this year's election.