Early voting begins in three U.S. states for presidential election

(Patria) - Early voting for the November 5 presidential election began yesterday in some U.S. states, reports Voice of America (VOA).

Voters lined up in Minnesota, South Dakota, and Virginia, where polling stations opened. More than 10 states will begin early voting in the coming weeks, by mid-October.

Jason Miller was first in line at a polling station in Minneapolis before voting began at 8 a.m.

- Why not be the first, it's fun, isn't it? - said the 37-year-old painter, adding that he voted "against the madness" but did not say for whom: "I don't think I need to say, it's very obvious, very clear".

The start of early voting followed a turbulent summer - President Joe Biden's withdrawal from the race, Vice President Kamala Harris's entry, and two assassination attempts on Donald Trump.

Across the country, election boards are trying to strengthen the security of the voting process and to provide good security for their members and polling places, so that the entire process goes without irregularities.

Election board members were targeted after the 2020 election and received death threats.

Federal authorities are investigating suspicious packages sent to election board members in the past 15 days, including those in Virginia, where voting began yesterday.

- If I had a magic wand, I would wish for two things: high turnout by November 5 and little drama - says Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simons.

Some voters turned out for early voting due to potential chaos on election day.

Chris Burda, a 74-year-old from Minneapolis, voted on Friday and says she recommended to others to vote early "to avoid potential unrest on election day".

She voted for Kamala Harris, saying that "the Vice President is fighting for democracy and the freedom of choice".

As early voting approached, Trump's rhetoric became sharper, and he promised to prosecute anyone who "cheats" in the election.

Trump baselessly claims that the 2020 election was stolen and attacked election board members who confirmed the results at their polling stations.



Earlier, Trump cast doubt on the regularity of mail-in voting and called for in-person voting at polling stations, but this year he also supported mail-in voting as a way to secure Republican votes before Election Day on November 5.

Eugene Otteson, a Vietnam War veteran, voted for Trump in Anoka, Minnesota. He believes Trump will keep America out of foreign conflicts and manage the economy like a businessman.

- It's not that I like him, but he's a businessman and I like someone who knows how to run a business. With Kamala, I don't even know what she stands for, I just hear her talking about some "luck". I can wish the world luck, but that won't stop wars - Otteson points out.

In the city of Chesapeake, Virginia, early voting has long been popular, says election board chair Mary Lynn Pinkerman.

She expects early voting to reduce crowds at polling stations on November 5, but notes that there will still be crowds on election day and citizens will wait in line.

Eric Spicer, chairman of the Fairfax County election board in Virginia, says about a third of voters in 2020 voted on election day, and the rest of the votes came by mail or voters participated in early voting.

In South Dakota, the highest election official in Minnehaha County, the state's most populous, says overall turnout will be around 80 percent.

Lea Anderson says the presidential election, as well as the vote on abortion rights and the legalization of marijuana at the state level, will surely attract voters.

Many voters are choosing to go to the polling station instead of voting by mail to ensure their vote counts, due to problems with the U.S. Postal Service.

Local and state officials have warned that mail delivery problems threaten to disenfranchise citizens, and that shortcomings have not been corrected, despite their attempts to resolve them.

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy responded in a letter that he will work to resolve the issues and reiterated that the postal service will be ready.

Some states count mail-in ballots even if they arrive after Election Day, provided they were sent no later than Election Day, while Minnesota only counts ballots that arrive by mail by the close of polls on Election Day.

- I hope the U.S. Postal Service will follow our recommendations, and do so quickly in the next 47 days, because the stakes for voters are high - says Simons from Minnesota.