History of Early voting in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: October 22, 2024

Early voting, also known as advance polling or pre-poll voting, allows voters to cast their ballots before the designated election day. This voting method can be done remotely through postal voting or in person at specific early voting stations. The availability and duration of early voting differ depending on the jurisdiction and election type. Early voting aims to enhance voter turnout, reduce congestion at polling places on election day, and prevent potential disenfranchisement of individuals with work or travel commitments that might hinder their ability to vote on the scheduled day.

1942: Early Voting Introduced in Sweden

Sweden introduced early voting in 1942, utilizing post offices as designated locations for citizens to cast their ballots in advance. This marked an early adoption of measures to facilitate voter participation outside of traditional election-day voting.

1957: Early Voting Introduced in West Germany

West Germany implemented early voting via mail in 1957, initially intended for voters who were unable to vote in person.

1990: German Reunification Impacts Early Voting

Following Germany's reunification in 1990, the adoption of postal voting increased, gradually becoming a more common voting method.

1994: Changes to Early Voting Administration in Sweden

Following the transformation of the Swedish postal service from a government agency to a state-owned company in 1994, the responsibility for administering early voting shifted from post offices to local municipalities. This change brought early voting under the purview of the same entities responsible for regular polling stations.

2000: Early Voting Accessibility in the U.S.

By the 2000 U.S. general election, 40% of the voting-age population resided in states that provided at least one early voting option. This marked the beginning of a trend toward increased early voting availability.

2001: Early Voting Record in Norway

The 2001 general election in Norway established a new benchmark for early voting, with a substantial number of citizens opting to cast their ballots in advance. This event highlighted the growing preference for early voting in the country.

2004: Florida Implements Early Voting

In 2004, Florida officially implemented early voting, becoming one of the earlier states to embrace this method of increasing voter participation.

2004: Early Voting Rate in the U.S.

The 2004 U.S. election saw a rise in early voting, with 21% of ballots cast before Election Day.

2005: Early Voting Rate in Germany

Early voting in Germany, primarily through mail-in ballots, accounted for 19% of the total votes cast in the 2005 federal election.

2007: Early Voting Rate in Australia

In the 2007 Australian federal election, early and postal votes represented 13.7% of the total votes cast, demonstrating a more modest early voting participation rate compared to subsequent elections.

November 2008: Maryland Approves Early Voting

In November 2008, voters in Maryland approved a constitutional amendment to allow early voting, marking a significant step in expanding voting access within the state.

2008: Early Voting Rate in the U.S.

Early voting in the U.S. continued to climb in 2008, reaching 31% of the total votes cast.

2008: Germany Removes Excuse Requirement for Mail-in Voting

In 2008, Germany eliminated the requirement for voters to provide a valid excuse to vote by mail, further increasing the accessibility of early voting.

2008: Early Voting Introduced in New Zealand

In 2008, New Zealand introduced early voting, known as advance voting, without requiring voters to provide a reason. The system offered a 12-day voting window before election day, with numerous polling booths across the country.

2009: Record Early Voting in Norway

Norway saw a record number of early voters in the 2009 general election, with 707,489 citizens casting their votes in advance. This surge in early voting surpassed the previous record set in 2001.

2010: Maryland's Early Voting Implementation

In 2010, Maryland began its early voting period, showcasing the practical implementation of voter access initiatives.

June 26, 2011: Early Voting in the 2011 Thai General Election

Thailand held early voting for the 2011 general election on Sunday, June 26, 2011. The Election Commission, responsible for administering the process, faced challenges as approximately 2.6 million people, including 1.07 million in Bangkok, participated, leading to crowding at polling stations and preventing some from casting their votes.

2011: Early Voting Rate in New Zealand

In New Zealand's 2011 election, 14.7% of votes were cast in advance.

2012: Early Voting Rate in the U.S.

The 2012 U.S. election saw 33% of votes cast early.

2013: Early Voting Rate in Australia

In the 2013 Australian federal election, early and postal votes accounted for 26.4% of the total votes cast, indicating an upward trend in early voting participation.

November 2016: Early Voting in Massachusetts

Massachusetts implemented early voting for the first time during the general election of November 2016, reflecting a growing trend of expanding voter access across the United States.

2016: Early Voting in Australia

In 2016, Australia had over 600 early voting centers available for citizens. Early voting, referred to as "pre-poll voting," is available to voters unable to reach the polls on election day due to travel, work, or other reasons.

2016: Early Voting Rate in the U.S.

In 2016, early voting in the U.S. reached 40% of the total votes cast.

2017: Early Voting Rate in Germany

The 2017 German federal election saw 28.6% of voters casting their ballots by mail, demonstrating the increasing popularity of mail-in voting.

2019: New York's Early Voting Mandate

In 2019, New York State implemented a law requiring eight days of early voting, demonstrating a commitment to expanding voter participation and convenience.

2019: Surge in Early Voting in Australia

In the 2019 Australian federal election, early and postal votes surged to 40.7% of the total votes cast, marking an increase from previous elections. The increase prompterd concerns regarding costs and voters' ability to respond to late-stage campaign developments.

2019: Advance Voting in Canada

In the 2019 Canadian election, approximately 4.9 million individuals took advantage of advance polls.

2019: Mail-in Voting in the 2019 Canadian Election

In the 2019 Canadian election, mail-in voting remained relatively uncommon, with just under 50,000 out of 18.4 million total votes cast in this manner. The majority of these mail-in ballots came from Canadians residing abroad.

July 2020: Expansion of Early Voting in Russia Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic

In July 2020, Russia implemented a law permitting early voting at all polling stations. This measure, introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, aimed to reduce congestion at polling places and promote public health. Citizens had the opportunity to vote up to a week before the official election day during a constitutional amendment referendum.

September 2020: Adjustments to Early Voting in Russia

Following the July 2020 constitutional referendum, Russia adjusted its early voting period for regional elections in September 2020. The period was shortened to two days before the official election day, still allowing for some flexibility in voting while scaling back from the extended timeframe used in the referendum.

November 2020: Impact of COVID-19 on Voting in the 2020 Elections

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the 2020 United States elections. In November 2020, there was a surge in mail-in and early voting due to health concerns, demonstrating the adaptability of voting systems.

2020: Early Voting Rate in New Zealand

Early voting in New Zealand reached a significant proportion in the 2020 election, with 66.7% of votes cast in advance.

2020: Surge in Early Voting in the U.S.

Early voting in the U.S. surged to 69% in the 2020 election, largely attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to concerns about in-person voting on Election Day.

2020: Efforts to Restrict Early Voting

Following the 2020 United States presidential election, some Republican lawmakers, fueled by false claims of voter fraud, initiated efforts to restrict early voting, highlighting the ongoing debate surrounding voting rights and access.

2020: MTV's "Vote Early Day" Campaign

In 2020, MTV launched the "Vote Early Day" campaign, aiming to establish a civic holiday encouraging early voting, particularly among young people. This initiative highlights the role of media in promoting civic engagement.

2020: International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance Report

In 2020, the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) published a report analyzing voting methods in Europe. The report focused on the use of in-person postal voting, early voting, mobile voting, and proxy voting in various European countries.

2021: Record Early Voting Rate in Norway

In the 2021 national elections in Norway, early voting reached an unprecedented level, with 57.9% of the votes, amounting to 1.7 million, cast in advance. This record-breaking participation in early voting indicates a significant shift in voter behavior.

2021: Record Advance Voting in Canada

The 2021 Canadian election saw a record number of advance voters, with nearly 5.8 million citizens casting their ballots during the designated advance poll dates.

2021: Increase in Mail-in Voting in the 2021 Canadian Election

The 2021 Canadian election witnessed a surge in mail-in voting, with over 1.1 million special ballots received. However, approximately 99,988 of these ballots were rejected for reasons such as late arrival, missing voter signatures, or other issues.

November 2022: Connecticut Voters Approve Early Voting Amendment

In November 2022, Connecticut voters demonstrated their support for early voting by approving a constitutional amendment. This paved the way for legislative action to enact early voting provisions.

2022: Early Voting Rate in the U.S.

Following the surge in 2020, early voting in the U.S. settled at 50% in the 2022 midterm elections.

May 2023: Connecticut Legislature Passes Early Voting Bill

In May 2023, the Connecticut House and Senate demonstrated their commitment to expanding voting access by passing H.B. 5004, a significant step towards implementing early voting in the state.

June 7, 2023: Connecticut Governor Signs Early Voting Bill

On June 7, 2023, Governor Ned Lamont of Connecticut signed H.B. 5004 into law, marking a pivotal moment in the state's journey towards implementing early voting.

July 2024: Expansion of Early Voting in the U.S.

A July 2024 study by the Center for Election Innovation & Research revealed that nearly 97% of voting-age citizens in the United States will have access to early voting options for the 2024 election. This highlights a substantial expansion in early voting accessibility across the country.

2024: Early Voting in the United States

As of 2024, a significant majority of states in the United States, including territories, offer in-person early voting, with eight states utilizing all-mail voting systems.