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Election Day: The Final Deadline, Not the First Day to Vote Early voting in the US has become a crucial component of modern elections, reshaping how and when people cast their ballots. Traditionally, Election Day—held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November—was the sole day for voting. However, in recent years, early voting has transformed this process, with Election Day now often considered the last day to vote, not the first. How Early Voting Works Each state determines its own rules: -In-person early voting: In many states, voters can visit designated polling stations days or even weeks before Election Day. The length of this period varies—some states, like Minnesota and Virginia, allow early voting to begin as much as 45 days before Election Day. - Mail-in or absentee voting: Voters can request a mail-in ballot, fill it out at home, and return it by mail or at designated drop-off locations. Some states auto-send mail-in ballots to all registered voters, while others require voters to request them. States with Early Voting Most U.S. states offer some form of early voting: -Texas allows early in-person voting for a full two weeks before Election Day. - California offers extensive mail-in voting options, with voters receiving ballots automatically and able to return them by mail or at drop boxes starting 29 days before Election Day. - Florida provides both in-person early voting and no-excuse absentee voting, where any registered voter can request a mail ballot without providing a specific reason. Why Early Voting Matters People can vote when it fits their schedule, avoiding potential conflicts on Election Day, such as work, childcare responsibilities, or unforeseen emergencies. For example, in the 2020 election, over 100 million Americans voted before Election Day, either in person or by mail—more than two-thirds of the total votes cast. Early voting also helps reduce wait times on Election Day. With fewer voters showing up at polling places all at once, lines are shorter, and election officials can better manage the flow of voters. This was particularly important during the COVID-19 pandemic when social distancing made crowded polling stations a health risk. Challenges and Concerns Despite the clear benefits, there are some concerns surrounding early voting. One common issue is that voters who cast their ballots weeks in advance might miss late-breaking news or events that could influence their decision. Additionally, states have different rules. In some states, early votes are counted as they come in, but in others, they aren’t counted until Election Day itself. This can lead to delays in election results, especially in tight races. Early voting has transformed the U.S. election process, making it more flexible and accessible to millions. While Election Day remains a symbolic date in American democracy, for many, it now marks the deadline to cast a vote rather than the first opportunity.

Find Voting Locations Near You: Polling Places, Hours, and Voting Tips   Voting Near Me: How to Find Polling Places, Hours, and Key Voting Information for 2024 The 2024 election is fast approaching, and finding your nearest polling place is crucial for a smooth voting experience. Whether you're voting early or on Election Day, knowing where to vote, what you need to bring, and polling hours can make all the difference. Here’s your comprehensive guide on how to locate voting centers near you, the necessary documents, and tips for a hassle-free voting experience. How to Find Polling Places Near You Finding your polling location is easy, thanks to multiple online tools that guide you directly to the nearest center based on your address. Here are the most reliable ways to locate your voting site: 1. Use the Official State Election Website Each state has an official election website where you can enter your registered address to find your designated polling place. Simply visit your state’s election website and look for a “Find My Polling Place” link. 2. Google’s “Where to Vote” Tool Closer to Election Day, Google offers a “Where to Vote” feature where you can enter your address to see nearby polling locations. This tool is often updated with the latest information, including early voting sites and Election Day centers. 3. Vote.org Polling Place Locator Vote.org is a popular resource that allows you to find your polling place quickly. Just enter your address, and the tool will show all relevant locations, along with hours of operation and any specific state requirements. 4. Check with Local Election Offices Local election offices can provide the most up-to-date information. Visit your county or city election website, or contact them directly by phone to confirm your polling location. Understanding Polling Hours and Voting Options Polling hours vary by state and county, so it’s essential to verify when your location opens and closes. Here’s an overview of general voting hours and additional options like early voting: 1. Election Day Voting Hours On Election Day, most polling stations open between 6:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. and close between 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. However, hours may differ by state, so check your local polling place’s specific times to avoid arriving after polls close. 2. Early Voting Many states offer early voting, allowing you to cast your ballot days or even weeks before Election Day. Early voting is especially convenient if you want to avoid crowds. Check with your local election office for early voting sites and schedules, as these may be different from Election Day locations. 3. Mail-In or Absentee Voting If you’re unable to vote in person, mail-in or absentee ballots are available in most states. Be mindful of deadlines for requesting and returning your ballot to ensure it’s counted. Most mail-in ballots must be postmarked by Election Day, with specific deadlines varying by state. What to Bring to the Polls:...

When we recounted my city council election, I got to see the entire Ada County voting process up close. Trent and Saul's team were extremely competent and professional. As an expert in automation and decision systems, I was quite satisfied. There remained one worrisome weak point for me, however, which is that voters get no feedback on how their vote is recorded by the machine. If there's an under vote or over vote, the machine in the polling place will kick the ballot back and the voter has an opportunity to fix it. But if the vote were simply counted wrong, there is no ability to fix it. In practice, and after seeing the hand count of a fraction of ballots in my race, it's clear that miscounts, if any, must be a small number. Less than the 15 votes separating my race... but perhaps more than the 2 votes in Alexis Pickering's larger ACHD election. This new database showing photos of all the ballots should allay that concern, because we can all see the way each ballot was counted alongside the image of the paper original. If you were to write a unique identifier, like the serial number from a dollar bill in your pocket on your ballot - making sure not to intersect the bar code or any of the boxes you haven't filled in - you could even go back to your precinct and verify your own ballot after the election. The team told me about this system during my recount and it is awesome to see it in place. Combined with the existing tools like live streams of cameras in all parts of the counting rooms, Ada County now has the most radically transparent voting system in the country.

More than 46 million Americans have cast their ballots in the 2024 election as of Tuesday morning, according to NBC News’ tracker, accounting for over a quarter of the anticipated electorate. Both nominees, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, have encouraged voters to get to the ballot box as soon as they can. With one week until the Nov. 5 election, early voting is underway in all seven battleground states, along with dozens of others. Reports of hours-long lines outside polling places have already sprouted up on social media, as voters flood the limited number of municipal spaces set up to accommodate early voting. While millions of Americans have stood in line to cast ballots in person, another 20 million have mailed in their ballots. The 46.5 million early votes are almost evenly split between ballots cast in person versus by mail, according to the University of Florida’s Election Lab. Some states, like the key presidential battlegrounds of North Carolina and Georgia, have reported that their early voter turnout is setting records this election cycle. In North Carolina, 353,166 ballots were accepted on the first day of early voting on Oct. 17, beating the 2020 first-day record, according to preliminary State Board of Elections data. As of Tuesday, more than 2.7 million votes had been cast across the state, according to NBC News. Georgia also smashed its first-day early voting record with an estimated 310,000 ballots cast on Oct. 15. By Tuesday, just under 3 million ballots had been received. These historic voter numbers are testing the limits of America’s early voting infrastructure, which operates with only a fraction of the workers and polling locations that will be open on Election Day. Early voting aims to give Americans more convenient alternatives to casting their ballots on Election Day. In some states, early voting also allows election officials to get a head start on processing or counting votes, to help distribute the workload of vote tallying over several days. Elections and voting laws are enacted by individual states, not by the federal government. This creates a patchwork of election operations across the country, each governed by its own rules. Arizona, Michigan and Nevada, for instance, are permitted to start counting their ballots before Nov. 5. But in Georgia, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, counting may not begin until Election Day. Early votes made up roughly two-thirds of the ballots cast in the 2020 election, according to the Associated Press. This massive total, more than 100 million votes, was driven largely by the unique impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on American civic life.

10 Key Facts About the U.S. 2024 Election 10 Key Facts About the U.S. 2024 Election As the U.S. heads toward the 2024 presidential election, the stakes are high, and numerous developments will shape the election landscape. Here are 10 important facts about the U.S. 2024 election that every voter and observer should know. 1. Presidential Candidates The 2024 election is set to feature a rematch between former President Donald Trump, who is the Republican Party’s nominee, and President Joe Biden, the incumbent and Democratic nominee. Both parties are also facing growing competition from third-party candidates and internal challenges. 2. Historic Voter Turnout The 2024 election is expected to see record-high voter turnout, driven by increasing political engagement and the expansion of early voting options. Younger voters, especially those under 30, are expected to play a significant role in the election outcome. 3. Key Battleground States Several states will be crucial in determining the winner of the election, including traditional battlegrounds like Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Arizona. These states have fluctuated between Democrat and Republican control in recent elections, making them critical for both parties. 4. Supreme Court Influence The U.S. Supreme Court could influence the 2024 election, particularly regarding key issues like voting rights, gerrymandering, and election laws. Recent decisions and future rulings could have significant implications for how elections are conducted and contested. 5. Mail-In and Early Voting Mail-in voting and early voting will be pivotal in the 2024 election. These methods, popularized during the 2020 election due to the COVID-19 pandemic, have continued to grow in use, allowing voters to cast ballots before Election Day. 6. Third-Party Candidates While third-party candidates traditionally do not win the presidency, they can affect the outcome of the election by drawing votes away from the major parties. Figures like former Republican Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and others may run, but they are still considered long shots. 7. Electoral College System The U.S. uses the Electoral College system to elect the president, where each state has a set number of electors based on its population. To win the presidency, a candidate needs 270 out of 538 electoral votes. This system often leads to candidates focusing their attention on swing states. 8. Impact of Social Media and Technology Social media will play a huge role in the 2024 election cycle, with candidates using platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok to engage with voters. However, concerns over misinformation, cybersecurity, and the influence of tech companies will continue to be a hot topic. 9. Changing Demographics The demographics of the U.S. electorate continue to shift, with growing influence from Hispanic, Asian, and Black voters. These changes could significantly impact the strategies of political...

From The Office of WV Secretary of State Mac Warner For Immediate Release: November 4, 2024 Warner confirms record-breaking early voter participation for General Election Charleston, W.Va. – A record number of West Virginia voters have already participated in person for the November 5 General Election according to a report released today by WV Secretary of State Mac Warner. Early voting for the November 5 General Election has surpassed the previous record for early voting set in the 2020 General Election. Early in-person voting began in West Virginia is 2002. "Confidence and interest in West Virginia elections is at an all-time high," said Secretary Warner. "We're working closely with all 55 county clerks to make sure that elections are safe, secure, accessible, and transparent." According to Warner, as of Saturday evening, a total of 332,081 voters have already cast a ballot statewide. Early in-person voters accounted for 310,421 of the ballots cast. 21,660 voters participated by absentee ballot. A total of 4,640 absentee ballots have not yet been returned to the county clerks. A breakdown of early voting totals to date including voter participation by political party affiliation for each county can be downloaded HERE. A summary of the breakdown includes: In-Person Voters = 310,421 (Includes Saturday's totals) 91,978 Democrats 143,554 Republicans 329 Mountain Party 60,196 No Party Affiliation 1,547 Libertarian 12,817 Other Parties Absentee Ballot Voters = 21,660 (as of Saturday)* 9,494 Democrats 7,993 Republicans 23 Mountain Party 3,273 No Party Affiliation 71 Libertarian 806 Other Parties *Absentee ballots requested but NOT returned yet = 4,640 Warner said that he is optimistic that the turnout momentum will continue and hopes for a strong finish tomorrow with voters who like to vote in person on Election Day. There are 1,657 precincts open on Tuesday throughout the state. Polls are open 6:30am to 7:30pm, and voters in line at the close of polls will be able to vote. No campaigning or wearing campaign materials within 100-ft or inside polling locations. Voters who would like to review their sample ballot before they go to the polls or find their polling location can find it at GoVoteWV.com

The pandemic-era voting trend that's here to stay: 5 days until the election. Your Daily Ballot Brief What’s Happening: One week from Election Day, early voters look different than they did 4 years ago "So far, preelection voting across the country is down significantly from this point four years ago, when a record number of voters turned out before Election Day amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The preelection total is more than 30% of the roughly 158 million votes cast for president in 2020." According to Catalist, voters ages 30-39 have cast 9% of early ballots, down from 12% in 2020. Why it Matters: Early voting - whether it be in person or by mail, is an effective but relatively new mode of voting in this country - Connecticut, for example, did not adopt early voting until 2022. While deadlines and requirements vary by state, over the years, more and more states have embraced early voting to make it more accessible to more voters. Today, only Alabama, Mississippi, and New Hampshire don't have early voting options. This became especially critical during the 2020 pandemic, when in-person voting was not an option for many, numerous states relaxed their regulations to vote by mail (extending registration and return windows, ID requirements, etc.). Four years later and post-pandemic, it seems some may be back to voting on Election Day, but not nearly as many pre-pandemic. In fact, with still a week to go, early votes cast this election have already surpassed that of 2016 and 2012 - indicating that, for many, early voting is not just a backup option, it's now their new go-to. For Jewish voters in Pennsylvania, mail-in voting played a particularly important role this year when primary election day fell on the first day of Passover, preventing many from being able to vote in person. Following the efforts of Teach Coalition's Pennsylvania Unites, the state saw a staggering 81.45% return rate on requested mail ballots among targeted Jewish voters. What it Means for You: Many states offer early in-person voting until Sunday. If you haven't yet voted, be sure to check your states guidelines and make your plan to vote. Don't risk not being able to make it on Election Day - schedules get busy, unexpected things pop up - and early voting is a safe, easy way to ensure your voice is heard this election.

Election Day is a whirlwind. Votes are cast, ballots are counted, and every minute adds new urgency as we wait for the results that will shape the future of our communities. At The Tributary, we’re committed to making sure you have a clear, accurate picture of what’s happening in real time. That’s why we built two tools to scrape live voter turnout data throughout Election Day—tools that will let us know how many ballots remain as votes begin to be counted in each county and each Congressional, Senate and House district. Our turnout scraper works by continuously pulling live data from all 67 county election supervisors across Florida. Every five to 10 minutes, we gather information on ballots cast at polling places, absentee ballots received, and early votes logged. By the end of Election Day, we have a comprehensive dataset that shows us how many ballots have been cast in each precinct—a crucial insight before the official results even start rolling in. One tool that we first launched in August gives live updates for turnout for every county in the state. Our newest tool breaks the turnout down to the district level. Florida 2024 Election Turnout by District An interactive map showing voter turnout by district across Florida. The tool provides insights into turnout by Congressional, Senate, and House districts, updating live throughout Election Day to track participation levels and help inform election results. [The Tributary] Why does this matter? In Florida, early and mail ballots make up the vast majority of votes cast. Already, as of Monday morning, nearly 60% of registered voters have cast a ballot, and Election Day hasn’t even begun. Those early ballots are also the first votes reported by election officials. How soon will we be able to call races? Since early and mail ballots are counted quickly in Florida, we often call many district races within the first hour of results posting. Most of Florida is on Eastern Time, with nine counties on Central Time. The counties on Eastern Time will start posting results soon after polls close at 7 p.m. Eastern, while Central Time counties will follow an hour later. What do voters need to know about how results are reported? The first ballots to be counted—typically in-person early votes and mail votes—have trended more Democratic in recent years, reflecting voting preferences that often vary by party. Meanwhile, Election Day ballots have tended to favor Republicans. In some states, like Pennsylvania, Election Day ballots are usually counted first, and unlike in Florida, Pennsylvania and some other states are prohibited by state law from pre-processing ballots. That pre-processing is what makes Florida so fast at reporting results, and the lack of it is what makes some states so slow. As a result, initial results may favor one party heavily, only to change as different types of ballots are processed. It’s not unusual or suspicious if

More than 46 million Americans have cast their ballots in the 2024 election as of Tuesday morning, according to NBC News’ tracker, accounting for over a quarter of the anticipated electorate. Both nominees, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, have encouraged voters to get to the ballot box as soon as they can. With one week until the Nov. 5 election, early voting is underway in all seven battleground states, along with dozens of others. Reports of hours-long lines outside polling places have already sprouted up on social media, as voters flood the limited number of municipal spaces set up to accommodate early voting. While millions of Americans have stood in line to cast ballots in person, another 20 million have mailed in their ballots. The 46.5 million early votes are almost evenly split between ballots cast in person versus by mail, according to the University of Florida’s Election Lab. Some states, like the key presidential battlegrounds of North Carolina and Georgia, have reported that their early voter turnout is setting records this election cycle. In North Carolina, 353,166 ballots were accepted on the first day of early voting on Oct. 17, beating the 2020 first-day record, according to preliminary State Board of Elections data. As of Tuesday, more than 2.7 million votes had been cast across the state, according to NBC News. Georgia also smashed its first-day early voting record with an estimated 310,000 ballots cast on Oct. 15. By Tuesday, just under 3 million ballots had been received. These historic voter numbers are testing the limits of America’s early voting infrastructure, which operates with only a fraction of the workers and polling locations that will be open on Election Day. Early voting aims to give Americans more convenient alternatives to casting their ballots on Election Day. In some states, early voting also allows election officials to get a head start on processing or counting votes, to help distribute the workload of vote tallying over several days. Elections and voting laws are enacted by individual states, not by the federal government. This creates a patchwork of election operations across the country, each governed by its own rules. Arizona, Michigan and Nevada, for instance, are permitted to start counting their ballots before Nov. 5. But in Georgia, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, counting may not begin until Election Day. Early votes made up roughly two-thirds of the ballots cast in the 2020 election, according to the Associated Press. This massive total, more than 100 million votes, was driven largely by the unique impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on American civic life. Contact us today, and let us demonstrate how we can elevate your portfolio to new heights Contact Us: bit.ly/AlgoTrader Website: alphabinwanicapital.com #Investing #ThematicInvesting #AI #USElections