Early Voting Already Underway in U.S. Midterm Elections

Midterms elections have already started in the United States, where voters in most of the country are able to vote in advance of Election Day.

On October 20, President Obama joined an estimated 2 million Americans who have already cast their ballots in the 2014 midterm elections.

“I’m so glad I can early vote,” Obama said in Chicago before stepping up to the voting machine. “It’s so exciting. I love voting.”

Of the 50 U.S. states, 43 allow some form of voting in advance of Election Day, which falls on November 4 in 2014. Nine states set qualifications such as travel, physical disability or religious observances for early voting, but 34 states have no special requirements.

The specific methods for early voting are set by individual states and can include in-person voting at a polling station, mail-in voting and Internet voting. Each state also determines the timeframe for “early,” with periods in 2014 averaging 21 days in advance of Election Day.

In the 2010 midterm elections, approximately 19 million voters chose to vote early, and political pundits predict even more will do so in 2014. Reports from states suggest that many of 2014’s early voters are voting for the first time.

In past years, Democrats have tended to garner more early-voter support than Republicans, but the latter is seeking to close that gap in 2014. Both parties are working hard to mobilize early voters and, with many races predicted to be very close, both parties are highly motivated to ensure they reach every segment of the voting public.