Georgia and North Carolina, two swing states in the US elections, are starting early in-person voting this week. In the first, voters can go to the polls from this Tuesday (15), and, in the second, this starts this Thursday (17).
The early voting turnout record has been broken, according to state election officials. More than 300,000 votes had been cast by Wednesday night.
Learn more about voting in these crucial states.
What is early voting in the US?
The term early voting generally refers to voting held before the official election day — scheduled for November 5th this year.
It takes place during specific periods and at specific early voting locations or at the election office, depending on state by state, highlights the US Vote Foundation.
States refer to this voting method in a variety of ways, including early voting, early in-person voting, absentee voting, voting by mail, or in-person absentee voting.
Early voting in Georgia
State laws adopted after 2020 tightened rules for making ballots available to absentee voters and decreased the availability of drop boxes. Therefore, this form of voting may be less attractive than early in-person voting, election experts pointed out.
In 2020, there were many ballot drop boxes available 24/7 in 2020, but this year, there will be fewer of them.
These boxes will be at election offices or early voting locations, which will be open during similar business hours.
“The drop boxes were actually made so inconvenient that fewer voters are able to use them,” said Kristin Nabers, Georgia state director for All Voting is Local.
“I don’t want to discourage people from using the collection boxes in any way, but I can understand why people think it’s easier to show up in person,” he highlighted.
Meanwhile, opportunities to vote in person have expanded: Georgia law requires two Saturdays of early voting and allows two Sundays of early voting if a county wants it.
Limits on feeding people in line
A 2021 law made it a crime to offer food or drink to voters waiting to vote. The measure has mostly survived legal challenges.
Therefore, offering voters a bottle of water or a snack within 150 feet of a building where ballots are being collected is prohibited.
Expectation of faster results
Georgia has made several changes to try to get faster election results to voters.
By 8 p.m. local time on election night — November 5 — counties are required to report the results of their early in-person voting and early voting for absentee voters.
As counties tabulate Election Day voting, they will provide updates at regular intervals. The goal, according to Georgia’s secretary of state, is to provide quick, fair and transparent results.
Uncertainty
At the same time, several new rules approved by the Georgia State Board of Elections, approved by a Republican majority, are creating uncertainty surrounding the post-election process.
The board approved a rule that requires a manual count of the number of ballots at each polling place, which could delay the release of results.
Additionally, rules were approved that allow county officials to review extensive election materials before certifying the results and require those officials to conduct a “reasonable investigation” before doing so.
There are ongoing lawsuits related to all of the new rules. Democrats and voting rights activists fear it could be used by county officials who want to contest election results or delay the certification process.
Early Voting in North Carolina
North Carolina officials have been scrambling to ensure residents can still vote in the wake of Hurricane Helene. Experts warn that the natural disaster could affect voter turnout.
The 25 western counties most impacted by Hurricane Helene have planned 80 early voting locations; 75 of them will be operational when early voting begins.
There is no longer a waiting period for mail-in ballots
Voters considering voting by mail should note that, unlike 2020, their ballots need to be received by 7:30 p.m. ET on Election Day.
During the last presidential race, there was a three-day waiting period for ballots to arrive, which has since been eliminated.
New voter ID rules
This is the first presidential election in which North Carolina residents will be required to show identification when they show up to vote.
They will be able to present a driver’s license, passport and student photo identification documents that have been approved by the state election board.
There are exceptions if a voter cannot provide identification, and one of those exceptions is natural disaster. In this case, voters fill out an identification exception form that accompanies the ballot.
The state election board notes that county election boards are required to count provisional ballots, which include identification exception forms.
This content originally appeared in US Elections: Early Voting Begins in Georgia; understand on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
