New York begins early voting today

Early voting will begin across New York State today, offering voters nine days to cast their ballots prior to Election Day on 3 November.

New York’s early voting period will run until Nov. 1, according to the schedule released by the state government. There will be no early voting on Nov. 2.

“This is the first time in history that New Yorkers can vote early in a presidential election. Make your voice heard,” tweeted Governor Andrew Cuomo on Friday.

This year, registered voters can vote three ways: by absentee ballot, in-person early voting, or in-person voting on Election Day, said the release.

All registered voters can request an absentee ballot if they are concerned about COVID-19 for the Nov. 3 election, it added.

Nationwide, early voting rates have dramatically surged this year, as President Donald Trump and his Democratic rival, former Vice President Joe Biden, campaigned for the White House.

More than 51 million people have voted already, either in person or by mail, as of Friday morning, according to the US Elections Project, which is run by the University of Florida’s Michael McDonald.

That means at least 4 million more people have voted early so far this year, compared to all early voting in 2016.

And the early vote totals in Texas (6.4 million votes), North Carolina (2.7 million votes), California (5.8 million votes) already exceed the total number of people who voted for Donald Trump in those same states in 2016.