Nearly 60 million Americans had cast ballots before Election Day in the November 3 congressional elections, according to CNN. Early voters include a larger share of people registered as Democrats, but that does not mean they necessarily support Democratic candidates.
CNN also reported that early voters are older on average than the rest of the electorate. Mail voting can offer a more convenient option for people with physical limitations, and some states that require a reason to vote by mail accept older age as a qualifying reason.
In previous elections, early voters have tended to favor Democrats, while Republican supporters have been more likely to vote on Election Day, CNN noted. The report linked that pattern in part to President Donald Trump’s longstanding, unsubstantiated claims that mail voting is unsafe.
Polling places began opening for the midterms on Tuesday. The first closures were expected in Indiana and Kentucky, where voting was scheduled to end at 5 p.m. local time. Many East Coast states were due to close their polls between 6 and 7 p.m. local time, with initial results potentially following. It was unclear when control of the two chambers of Congress would be known; the count could take several days.
Voters were also deciding on issues beyond congressional races, including election rules, abortion and transgender rights. In Idaho, residents were voting on whether to designate an official state firearm. The NRA says ten states already have one: seven rifles and three handguns.
The live report also described legal disputes over mail ballots. Trump asked the Supreme Court to temporarily halt the counting of ballots from more than 20,000 registered voters in California, saying federal officials believed they were probably not U.S. citizens. A federal judge in Alaska rejected a separate lawsuit brought by the Justice Department.
Sources: FAZ.