Early Voting Up 50 Percent

Fifty percent more voters cast their ballots early in this year’s primary elections compared to the midterm primaries in 2006, USA Today reports. The newspaper reviewed the records of 13 states, and found that 6 million people voted early, 2 million more than four years ago. The trend is changing political campaigns, forcing politicians and special interest groups to try to get voters’ attention much earlier than in previous elections. People are sending in their ballots in 13 states right now, and 33 states total will have early voting this year. Now that rules that required some kind of excuse for absentee voting have largely faded away, far more people are finding the time to vote. The change is increasing the pressure on pols. "Voting isn't like Christmas, where there's a run-up to one day and it's over," a conservative group’s spokesman said. "Christmas for (candidates) campaigning is happening every day during the last three weeks before Election Day."