In-person voting began ahead of Election Day in Minnesota, South Dakota and Virginia, where lines formed at the polls today. Early voting will begin in more than a dozen states by mid-October.
Former US President Donald Trump, who is a Republican presidential candidate, and current US Vice President, Democratic presidential candidate Kamal Harris, will compete in the election.
In-person voting opened after a stormy summer in US politics, during which US President Joe Biden withdrew from the election and was replaced by Harris in the race for the White House, while Trump survived an assassination attempt, followed more recently by another attack.
Security measures have been stepped up across the country to guarantee the safety of election officials and polling stations and to ensure that ballots and voting procedures are not tampered with. Since the 2020 presidential elections, officials and employees of polling stations often receive various threats.
Federal authorities are investigating suspicious mailings received by election officials in more than 15 states in recent days.
Many Americans who want to vote before Election Day may prefer to vote early in person rather than by mail, given the problems with the US Postal Service.
State and local election officials warned last week that mail delivery problems threaten to disenfranchise voters.
The US Postal Service promised to work with officials to allay their concerns and stressed that the mail would be ready.
Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon urged voters to plan to vote now. He noted that mail-in delays vary from state to state, so voters should request mail-in ballots and return them in time if they plan to vote from home. States have different rules about when exactly mailed-in ballots are counted.
2024-09-20 23:19:35