Early voting
Encyclopedia
Early voting is the process by which electors can vote on a single or series of days prior to an election. Early voting can take place remotely, such as by mail, or in person, usually in designated early voting polling station
s. The availability and time periods for early voting vary based on jurisdiction and type of election. The goal of early voting is usually to increase participation and relieve congestion of polling stations on the election day
.
An advance poll is held in some election
s to allow participation by voters who may not be able to vote on the set election day(s). This may include people who will be out of the polling area during the election period, poll workers, campaign workers, people with medical procedures scheduled for that time, among others.
, early voting is known as pre-poll voting. However, to cast an early vote a voter must already be registered.
, early voting is known as advance polling. It is offered to all voters in all federal, provincial, and most municipal elections. In elections, voters do not need to be registered in order to vote at an advance poll provided they are carrying proof of identity and address, or bring a registered voter who will swear an oath of identification at the polling station on their behalf.
, most eligible voters are required to register their place of residence and receive a Wahlbenachrichtigung (notification of election) by 3 weeks before an election to the Bundestag
, which also contains a postal vote application form. It is possible to cast one's vote directly at the office that handles the application, i.e. the municipal government.
The requirement for an excuse has been removed in 2008, but it was just an abstract assurance before that never has been validated. 19% of all voters voted early in 2005.
Germans living abroad may register and vote through mail, provided they had their place of residence in Germany sometime after 1949 (there have been shorter terms in the past). Rules for the elections in the states of Germany are similar.
, early voting is a form of special voting, which allows voters who will be outside their electorate
or incapacitated on election day to vote in advance or at another polling place.
were used for several decades as early voting stations. Swedes living abroad must register their address and can vote at embassies or through mail.
in all federal elections and referenda, and all cantons also allow it for cantonal ballot issues. All voters receive their personal ballot by mail a few weeks before the election or referendum. They may either cast it at a polling station on election day or mail it back at any prior time.
, early voting is known as เลือกตั้งล่วงหน้า (advance voting). It is available since 1997 Constitution of Thailand
and offered both inside and outside constituency, especially for migrant workers and students, to all voters at central polling places , mostly at the registered district offices, for MP
elections and Thai constitutional referendum, 2007
. Eligible voters are required to register
at district offices (which they are closest to) and receive a reply notification. For advance voting outside constituency, voters must register before election day not less than 30 days. No need to register if voter has registered for latest election. But if voters would like to go back and vote at original constituency (according to house registration), they must apply for register cancellation. Thais living abroad may also register at embassies or consulates and vote through mail or at the embassies or consulates prior to election day.
Early voting day is same as election day, voters must carrying proof of identity, even expired is valid. Election Commission
uses post offices send constituency ballots from other constituencies and abroad to original constiuencies. They will be counted with election day constiuency ballots.
Early voting in 2011 general election was arranged on Sunday (26 June 2011) only while prior elections arranged on Saturday and Sunday. Around 2.6 million people including 1.07 million in Bangkok
turned up to vote; however, many potential voters were unable to vote due to large crowds. Voters who did not vote on early voting day still can vote at their original constituencies on election day.
Early voting is similar to "no-excuse" absentee voting. In many U.S. states the period varies between four and fifty days prior to Election Day. Early voting in person is allowed with no excuse required in 31 U.S. state
s, with an excuse in 3, and not at all in 16. Absentee voting by mail is allowed in 28 states, with an excuse in 22. No-excuse permanent absentee voting is allowed in 4 states. Contrary to the map at left, Wisconsin
allows no-excuse early voting. The District of Columbia required an excuse for early voting and absentee voting, until its primary election on September 14, 2010. Early voting for the D.C. primary began August 30, 2010 (see DC ST § 1-1001.09, http://weblinks.westlaw.com/ or searchable link at http://www.dccouncil.washington.dc.us/dcofficialcode).
22 percent of voters cast an early presidential ballot in 2004. In 2000, 16 percent voted early.
officially began early voting in 2004 as part of post-2000 election reform.
Turnout for early voting exceeded one million in 2004. There were some problems: 1st-day computer
failures in Orange County
and Broward County; accidentally-erased votes in Volusia County; and a lack of early voting sites in Jacksonville
. Reforms are being discussed to address the known issues, as well as possibly eliminating the standard poll
in favor of modified early voting.
, "early voting" and "advance voting" have two different and counter-intuitive meanings. Voting a week early is called "advance" voting, and is typically available at several locations in urban and suburban counties. Voting well in advance, up to 45 days before election day, is called "early" voting, and is normally available only at the 159 county election offices (where "advance" voting is also available). There is no weekend voting when most people are off work, and there is no voting the day before election day. Calls to extend voting through the three days prior to the election cannot be honored by the Georgia secretary of state
, each county must request permission from the U.S. Department of Justice, due to the history of voting rights violations in the American South decades ago.
. Absentee ballot
s appear to remain acceptable for the time being.
Voters approved a constitutional amendment in November 2008 to allow early voting starting with the primary elections in 2010. Maryland now offers both early voting in person and absentee voting by mail. http://elections.state.md.us/voting/early_voting.html
Polling station
A polling place or polling station is where voters cast their ballots in elections.Since elections generally take place over a one- or two-day span on a periodic basis, often annual or longer, polling places are often located in facilities used for other purposes, such as schools, churches, sports...
s. The availability and time periods for early voting vary based on jurisdiction and type of election. The goal of early voting is usually to increase participation and relieve congestion of polling stations on the election day
Election Day (politics)
Election Day refers to the day when general elections are held. In many countries, general elections are always held on a Sunday, to enable as many voters as possible to participate, while in other countries elections are always held on a weekday...
.
An advance poll is held in some election
Election
An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the...
s to allow participation by voters who may not be able to vote on the set election day(s). This may include people who will be out of the polling area during the election period, poll workers, campaign workers, people with medical procedures scheduled for that time, among others.
Australia
In AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, early voting is known as pre-poll voting. However, to cast an early vote a voter must already be registered.
Canada
In CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, early voting is known as advance polling. It is offered to all voters in all federal, provincial, and most municipal elections. In elections, voters do not need to be registered in order to vote at an advance poll provided they are carrying proof of identity and address, or bring a registered voter who will swear an oath of identification at the polling station on their behalf.
Finland
Finland and Sweden have similar early voting systems. The only distinction is that Finland uses post offices as early voting stations.Germany
In GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, most eligible voters are required to register their place of residence and receive a Wahlbenachrichtigung (notification of election) by 3 weeks before an election to the Bundestag
Bundestag
The Bundestag is a federal legislative body in Germany. In practice Germany is governed by a bicameral legislature, of which the Bundestag serves as the lower house and the Bundesrat the upper house. The Bundestag is established by the German Basic Law of 1949, as the successor to the earlier...
, which also contains a postal vote application form. It is possible to cast one's vote directly at the office that handles the application, i.e. the municipal government.
The requirement for an excuse has been removed in 2008, but it was just an abstract assurance before that never has been validated. 19% of all voters voted early in 2005.
Germans living abroad may register and vote through mail, provided they had their place of residence in Germany sometime after 1949 (there have been shorter terms in the past). Rules for the elections in the states of Germany are similar.
New Zealand
In New ZealandNew Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, early voting is a form of special voting, which allows voters who will be outside their electorate
Electoral district
An electoral district is a distinct territorial subdivision for holding a separate election for one or more seats in a legislative body...
or incapacitated on election day to vote in advance or at another polling place.
Sweden
Sweden has traditionally a high participation in elections and tries to make it as easy as possible to vote. No registration is needed since everyone is registered with a home address. Normally, a voter should vote on the election day in their specified polling station. But everyone can vote during the last week at an early polling station, anywhere in the country. These places are usually municipality owned places like libraries. Also on the election day, some of them are open even though the election day always is a Sunday. In hospitals and homes for the elderly, there are special voting opportunities. In elections until 1998, post officiesPosten (Sweden)
Posten AB is the name of the Swedish postal service. The word "posten" means "the post" or "the mail" in Swedish.Posten was established in 1636 by Axel Oxenstierna under the name Kungliga Postverket , although its origins can be traced further back, and it was operated as a government agency into...
were used for several decades as early voting stations. Swedes living abroad must register their address and can vote at embassies or through mail.
Switzerland
Swiss federal law allows postal votingPostal voting
Postal voting describes the method of voting in an election whereby ballot papers are distributed or returned by post to electors, in contrast to electors voting in person at a polling station or electronically via an electronic voting system....
in all federal elections and referenda, and all cantons also allow it for cantonal ballot issues. All voters receive their personal ballot by mail a few weeks before the election or referendum. They may either cast it at a polling station on election day or mail it back at any prior time.
Thailand
In ThailandThailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, early voting is known as เลือกตั้งล่วงหน้า (advance voting). It is available since 1997 Constitution of Thailand
1997 Constitution of Thailand
For legal and historical context, see the Constitutions of Thailand articlethumb|275px|Bangkok's [[Democracy Monument, Bangkok|Democracy Monument]]: a representation of the 1932 Constitution sits on top of two golden offering bowls above a turret....
and offered both inside and outside constituency, especially for migrant workers and students, to all voters at central polling places , mostly at the registered district offices, for MP
House of Representatives of Thailand
The House of Representatives of the Kingdom of Thailand is the lower house of the National Assembly of Thailand, the legislative branch of the Thai Government. The system of government of Thailand is that of a Constitutional Monarchy and a Parliamentary Democracy. The system of the Thai...
elections and Thai constitutional referendum, 2007
Thai constitutional referendum, 2007
A referendum on the new constitution was held in Thailand on 19 August 2007. Had the draft been rejected, the military government would have had the freedom to choose any previous constitution to adapt and promulgate instead...
. Eligible voters are required to register
Voter registration
Voter registration is the requirement in some democracies for citizens and residents to check in with some central registry specifically for the purpose of being allowed to vote in elections. An effort to get people to register is known as a voter registration drive.-Centralized/compulsory vs...
at district offices (which they are closest to) and receive a reply notification. For advance voting outside constituency, voters must register before election day not less than 30 days. No need to register if voter has registered for latest election. But if voters would like to go back and vote at original constituency (according to house registration), they must apply for register cancellation. Thais living abroad may also register at embassies or consulates and vote through mail or at the embassies or consulates prior to election day.
Early voting day is same as election day, voters must carrying proof of identity, even expired is valid. Election Commission
Election Commission (Thailand)
The Election Commission of the Kingdom of Thailand is an independent government agency and the sole Electoral Commission of Thailand tasked with overseeing Senate, House, local and district elections throughout the Kingdom of Thailand. Established by the Constitution, the Election Commission has...
uses post offices send constituency ballots from other constituencies and abroad to original constiuencies. They will be counted with election day constiuency ballots.
Early voting in 2011 general election was arranged on Sunday (26 June 2011) only while prior elections arranged on Saturday and Sunday. Around 2.6 million people including 1.07 million in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
turned up to vote; however, many potential voters were unable to vote due to large crowds. Voters who did not vote on early voting day still can vote at their original constituencies on election day.
United States
Early voting is similar to "no-excuse" absentee voting. In many U.S. states the period varies between four and fifty days prior to Election Day. Early voting in person is allowed with no excuse required in 31 U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
s, with an excuse in 3, and not at all in 16. Absentee voting by mail is allowed in 28 states, with an excuse in 22. No-excuse permanent absentee voting is allowed in 4 states. Contrary to the map at left, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
allows no-excuse early voting. The District of Columbia required an excuse for early voting and absentee voting, until its primary election on September 14, 2010. Early voting for the D.C. primary began August 30, 2010 (see DC ST § 1-1001.09, http://weblinks.westlaw.com/ or searchable link at http://www.dccouncil.washington.dc.us/dcofficialcode).
22 percent of voters cast an early presidential ballot in 2004. In 2000, 16 percent voted early.
Florida
The U.S. state of FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
officially began early voting in 2004 as part of post-2000 election reform.
Turnout for early voting exceeded one million in 2004. There were some problems: 1st-day computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
failures in Orange County
Orange County, Florida
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida and is part of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 1,145,956....
and Broward County; accidentally-erased votes in Volusia County; and a lack of early voting sites in Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
. Reforms are being discussed to address the known issues, as well as possibly eliminating the standard poll
Opinion poll
An opinion poll, sometimes simply referred to as a poll is a survey of public opinion from a particular sample. Opinion polls are usually designed to represent the opinions of a population by conducting a series of questions and then extrapolating generalities in ratio or within confidence...
in favor of modified early voting.
Georgia
In GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, "early voting" and "advance voting" have two different and counter-intuitive meanings. Voting a week early is called "advance" voting, and is typically available at several locations in urban and suburban counties. Voting well in advance, up to 45 days before election day, is called "early" voting, and is normally available only at the 159 county election offices (where "advance" voting is also available). There is no weekend voting when most people are off work, and there is no voting the day before election day. Calls to extend voting through the three days prior to the election cannot be honored by the Georgia secretary of state
Secretary of state of Georgia
The secretary of state of the U.S. state of Georgia is an elected official with a wide variety of responsibilities, including supervising elections and maintaining public records....
, each county must request permission from the U.S. Department of Justice, due to the history of voting rights violations in the American South decades ago.
Maryland
In August 2006, a judge ruled in favor of several plaintiffs that the state constitution only permitted voting on the day of the election. The plaintiffs were challenging a new early-voting law on the probability of fraudFraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
. Absentee ballot
Absentee ballot
An absentee ballot is a vote cast by someone who is unable or unwilling to attend the official polling station. Numerous methods have been devised to facilitate this...
s appear to remain acceptable for the time being.
Voters approved a constitutional amendment in November 2008 to allow early voting starting with the primary elections in 2010. Maryland now offers both early voting in person and absentee voting by mail. http://elections.state.md.us/voting/early_voting.html
Other states
The National Conference of State Legislatures provides up-to-date tables of summary and detailed outlines of each state's laws, as well as links to the relevant Codes and Statutes. The NCSL directory is out of date with respect to voting procedures in the District of Columbia.External links
- Early Voting Information Center at Reed College
- Long Distance Voter, early and absentee voting information
- Florida Statute 101.657
- MSNBC Report on the start of Early Voting in 2004
- Can I Vote? | Find Out If You Are Registered to Vote. CanIvote.org - "This nonpartisan web site was created by state election officials to help eligible voters figure out how and where to go vote." Also, early and absentee voting info by state. Check also whether you are registered or not.