How many voters cast their ballots in the 2024 election?

In-person and mail-in ballots are starting to pour in across the country, and the tally in every state shows growing voter enthusiasm.

Recent polls suggest a razor-thin lead in the race between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, and the results are expected to depend on each candidate's performance in seven swing states: Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada and North Carolina.

States have long allowed at least some Americans to vote early, such as military members and people with medical conditions who cannot vote. Many states expanded eligibility in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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In the last presidential election, mail-in ballots tended to lean Democratic. According to one study, in 2020, 60% of Democrats reported voting by mail, compared to 32% of Republicans Study 2021 from the MIT Election Data and Science Lab.

As of Sunday morning, more than 77 million ballots had been cast nationwide.

According to the Associated Press, here is a breakdown of where early voting was cast either by mail or in person in the seven battleground states. Some states such as Arizona, Nevada, North Carolina and Pennsylvania also offer a party breakdown by primary votes cast.

Arizona – 2,258,477
Early voting in Arizona by party affiliation:
Democrats: 736,569
Republicans: 924,524
Third-party voters: 597,384

Georgia – 4,013,193

Michigan – 2,983,444

Nevada – 1,080,810
Early voting in Nevada by party affiliation:
Democrats: 364,653
Republicans: 407,782
Third-party voters: 308,375

North Carolina – 4,440,604
Early voting in North Carolina by party affiliation
Democrats: 1,437,307
Republicans: 1,478,763
Independent voters: 1,492,800
Third-party voters: 31,734

Pennsylvania – 1,777,019
Early voting in Pennsylvania by party affiliation
Democrats: 990,189
Republicans: 583,791
Third-party voters: 203,039

Wisconsin – 1,499,164

Over the past two decades, the prevalence of early voting has skyrocketed. While early voting shows voter enthusiasm, it does not reliably determine which candidate wins the race because fewer voters are expected to cast their ballots early than in the previous presidential election.

Election workers monitor early voting at a polling station in Marietta, Georgia, on October 15, 2024. (Reuters/Jayla Whitfield-Anderson)

In 2020 the Fox News voter analysis found that 71% of voters cast their ballots before Election Day, with 30% voting early in person and 41% voting by mail. This time, polls suggest that about four in 10 voters will show up before November 5, according to Gallup polls.

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Democrats and Republicans are expected to be less divided on early voting this cycle. Four years ago, Democrats won total early voting by 11 points. However, two things have changed: First, many voters will be more willing to show up on Election Day now that the COVID-19 pandemic is no longer at the forefront. Second, unlike in 2020, Trump and the Republicans are no longer discouraging their voters from casting their votes early. The result is likely to be a narrower party gap once the votes are counted.

A sample ballot and voter sign are displayed on the first day of in-person early voting in Virginia on September 20, 2024 at the Long Bridge Park Aquatics and Fitness Center in Arlington, Virginia. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Some states also offer breakdowns of their early ballots — for example, by party affiliation, race or age. Comparing these results with other elections might give the impression that one candidate or party is now doing better than the other.

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Additionally, while early voting data shows the party registration of some voters, it does not provide information about how they voted. The actual vote counts are not published by the states until election night. The voting data that some states are now releasing shows the party affiliation of voters who requested or returned a ballot. However, this is not the same as their actual vote. For example, a voter might have registered as a Democrat decades ago but decided to vote for Trump this year. Many voters are not registered with any party, making their voting even more mysterious.