While lines several hours long are expected at U.S. polling stations on November 5, early voting means people can cast their ballots in just minutes.

"I almost always vote on polling day because I enjoy the excitement of going to the polling station and the festival atmosphere. This time, I just didn't want to wait, because there is a lot of stress and anxiety this year. I just wanted to make sure I could cast my vote and not wait until the last minute," said Robin, a voter in the state of Virginia.

So far, more than 18 million Americans have cast their ballots, either at the polling station or by mail. This is around 10 percent of the total number of ballots cast in the whole of the last presidential election.

While Democrats have traditionally been the most active early voters, this year, Republicans have also done so in large numbers. Republican candidate Donald Trump has called on his supporters to vote early, while four years ago, Trump expressed his skepticism.

Trump's change of heart has prompted Republicans to act early.

"If you have a ballot, return it right away. If you can't, do it tomorrow or as soon as you can. Go to the polls and vote," Trump urged his supporters.

"This is perfectly normal for Trump. What's good for Trump is good for everyone else, in his view," said Bennie, a Virginia state voter.

Early voting has been gaining popularity in the United States since before the Coronavirus pandemic and the trend is expected to continue.

"It's more convenient. Because it [early voting] is available several weeks before the election, it stretches out the window of time, so it saves more time. People have more flexibility in terms of when they want to vote. And I think a lot of people just want to vote as soon as they can," said election official Charles Luoma-Overstreet.

While early voting takes place in most states, there are also some states where voters have to provide a good reason to vote early.

"This option should be available nationwide and there should always be an option to vote by mail. There are a lot of people with mobility problems, and people may not have a driver's license, or perhaps they live in remote rural areas. Not everyone has the ease of access that we have here," said Marilyn, who is also voting in the state of Virginia.

With the U.S. presidential election just over a week away, Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump appear to be neck-and-neck. The message from both parties is clear – every vote counts.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!