Over the course of 2020, it’s been impossible to ignore that the United States has seen increasing partisanship and divisive rhetoric leading up to the November 3 general election. While many have decried the toxic nature of much of the discourse in politics this year, partisanship has had another knock-on effect: motivating voters.
As The Guardian reported, the matchup between President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden has led to enthusiasm to head to the polls that few, if any, observers have ever seen.
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With election day still more than a week away, either by mail-in or in-person early voting, nearly 60 million voters have already cast their ballots.
That surpasses all pre-election day voting from 2016, in which 58.3 million people cast their votes ahead of the big day, CNN reported.
According to The Guardian , the nation hasn’t seen more than 65% of eligible voters actually cast their ballots since 1908. So far in 2020, there has been an unprecedented level of turnout that has set the stage for a “record-shattering” election.
While mail-in or absentee ballots were expected to dominate this year due to the ongoing pandemic, in-person early voting has been popular as well.
According to NBC News, of the ballots in so far, about 63% have been mailed in and 37% have been cast in-person.
Many have reported braving long lines for hour on end, often in inclement weather, just to cast their vote, and that hasn’t been restricted to just a few states. All around the nation, voters are determined to get their opinions down on the record.
Experts say the increased enthusiasm this year comes down to one reason: President Trump.
Trump, and his handling of the coronavirus pandemic in particular, has proven to be a good motivator for many voters.
“The pandemic is part of it, particularly for older voters,” Dr. Larry Sabato, founder and director of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, told The Guardian .
“But to me, that doesn’t explain the lines. People really have bought into the understanding that if this isn’t the most important election we’ve ever had, it’s one of several. People are determined to express themselves and we all know why: Donald Trump.”
However, although the election may be a referendum on President Trump, Republican voters have proven motivated as well.
Democrats have seen a large advantage in early voting so far, The Guardian reported. University of Florida political science professor Michael McDonald told The Guardian that supporters of the Democrats had both submitted more ballot requests than Republican supporters, and returned more as well.
But as Politico reported, Republicans have been turning up to the polls in person. In Florida, GOP voters have eaten into the Democrats’ early lead since in-person early voting started.
But regardless of who they’re voting for, voters are turning out in 2020.
Tennessee, Georgia , New York , Texas , Louisiana , Virginia , Pennsylvania , North Carolina , and countless other states have reported surges in, if not record numbers for, early voting.
Nevertheless, all eyes remain fixed firmly on November 3, and whether election day will bring any clarity or not.
h/t: CNN , The Guardian
