78 million Americans vote early

Hello. The official date of the US election is 5 November, but more than 78 million Americans have made use of their states' early voting options. Anthony Zurcher and Brandon Denon explain the significance of the data. As both Vice-President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump make stops in Pennsylvania today, we look at what makes the state key in the election - and how some voters feel about it. Finally, Mark Savage remembers the late Quincy Jones through 10 of his best tunes.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Early voting proves popular in US election

Each state handles early voting differently, but a nationwide picture can emerge nonetheless. Credit: Reuters

More than 78 million people have cast their ballots ahead of election day in the US on Tuesday, which could suggest a bigger than usual turnout this year. Early voting is continuing in three battleground states on Monday: Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.

How does this number compare to previous elections?

This year's early voting totals are well shy of the 101.5m early ballots cast in 2020, when Covid-19 kept many away from crowded polling places, but it’s more than the total early votes cast in 2016 (47.2m) or 2012 (46.2m).

Where is early voting proving popular?

Multiple states are breaking early voting records. North Carolina is one of the seven battleground states that could determine the election, and the leading battleground state for total number of early voting ballots cast. Just over 4.4 million people voted early in the Tar Heel State, toppling the record set in 2020 which saw 3.6 million ballots cast before election day.

What can we learn from early voting data?

Some states release raw totals of votes cast through mail-in ballots, in-person voting days or both. Many share the party registration of voters and sometimes more detailed demographic information, such as gender, race and age. The rest of the picture, however, is much murkier and any insight into this election season is best taken with a heavy dose of salt.

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The woman was filmed sitting in her underwear at a university in Tehran before walking down a nearby street. Credit: Telegram

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And finally... in the US

We learned on Monday the passing of producer extraordinaire Quincy Jones. From Billie Jean to We Are The World, our music correspondent Mark Savage is sharing 10 songs that explain his brilliance. Check out the playlist here.