NC returns of mail-in ballots vastly outpacing 2016
North Carolina voters are increasingly relying on absentee ballots with over 650,000 cast. However, the youngest of all voters are the only group that has not skyrocketed past the number of absentee ballots used in the last presidential election.
Posted — UpdatedVoting by absentee ballot has become increasingly popular as voters look for a way to avoid the potential crowds of early voting and Election Day itself. In-person, early voting numbers are pacing twice as high as at the same time during the last presidential election, while the absentee ballot count is a staggering eight times higher.
The demographics of voters who are choosing to vote by mail has shifted as well. The average age of voters utilizing absentee ballots increased from 55 in 2016 to, as of last Friday, nearly 60 years old for 2020. All age groups have heavily increased their absentee ballot use except one: the youngest.
Sarah McConnell, a Raleigh resident and university student, used an absentee ballot this year for the first time, despite having previously voted in person.
“I felt more comfortable mailing in my ballot instead of going in person on the day of the election. It was more relaxing too. I went section by section through the ballot and gave myself time to research the candidates,” she said.
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