Early voting: Millions expected to cast ballots before November

Well, it's finally here.

Advance voting in North Carolina opens today, and people who have already made up their minds about who to support for president can ask for an absentee ballot to send in by mail. North Carolina, a key state in the contest for electoral college votes, is the first state to permit voting by absentee ballots.

Political experts say early voting is popular with millions of people and that a candidate can benefit greatly from the casting of ballots before November. Of course, who benefits depends on which candidate the early voters are more likely to back.

That is the chief reason North Carolina has seen so much of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump in recent days. Both candidates are seeking an edge in the Tarheel state, which is considered a swing state in the national election.

Voting early is convenient for many people, and the same experts say they expect more voters to cast ballots early this year than ever before. If they are right, this presidential election could be decided before November rolls around.

Published in Editorials on September 9, 2016 10:19 AM