The early vote is changing shape. Requests for mail ballots are down compared with the last midterm in six of the eight states analyzed by Michael McDonald, the University of Florida professor who is the leading authority on early-voting data, the Washington Post reports. In Georgia, mail-ballot requests are down 40 percent — while in-person early voting is, in McDonald’s words, “through the roof.”
In Wisconsin, more than 55,000 people voted early in person on the first day, Tuesday — a 65 percent increase over four years ago — even as mail voting fell.
The shift is not even between the parties. In Nevada, 18 percent of Democrats who voted early in person this month had voted by mail in 2024, versus 10 percent of Republicans, the Post reports — Democrats are moving to in-person voting faster.
The shift, in brief
- Mail-ballot requests down vs. the last midterm in 6 of 8 states analyzed (McDonald); Georgia down 40%
- Wisconsin in-person early voting, day one: 55,000+ voters, up 65% from four years ago
- Nevada: 18% of Democratic in-person early voters used mail in 2024, vs. 10% of Republicans
- The Post attributes the shift to the president’s attacks on mail voting; experts note mail voting is operating normally
The Post attributes the shift to President Trump’s relentless attacks on voting by mail. Election experts quoted elsewhere note that mail voting itself continues to operate normally, and that longer-term trends also play a role. The totals are a separate story: more than 20 million advance ballots had been cast as of Thursday — see the Daily’s early-voting report.
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