More Americans have already voted early in this year’s election than the total tally of early and absentee ballots in 2016, The Associated Press reported Sunday, nine days ahead of Election Day.
A total of 58.6 million ballots had been cast as voters flocked to in-person early voting sites or cast absentee ballots amid ongoing concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic. Just over 58 million ballots were cast early or via absentee provisions in all of the 2016 election.
The AP reported initial figures show Democrats dominating early voting on Sunday at a rate of 51%, compared with 31% for Republican voters, per state and local election data.
Polling shows that Democrats are more likely than their Republican counterparts to vote by mail, and The New York Times notes both parties expect GOP voters to head to the polls in person on Election Day in greater numbers. The unprecedented number of mail-in ballots could cause delays of days or weeks in tallying the final numbers from the election.
Voters have been compelled to hit the polls or mail in their ballots in record numbers amid twin threats: The ongoing coronavirus pandemic and President Donald Trump’s efforts to undermine the results of the election. The White House has continually drummed up false concerns about voting fraud despite a mountain of evidence that shows illegal voting is extremely rare. | 
