United States Elections Project

(Nearly) Final 2008 Early Voting Statistics

Last updated: May 1, 2010

In the presidential election of 2008, approximately 39.7 million or 30% of all votes were cast prior to Election Day, November 4, 2008. This is a significant increase from 20% in 2004 and part of the upward trend experienced since 1992, when 7% of all votes were cast early. These numbers are likely to increase in subsequent presidential elections as more states adopt early voting and more voters become comfortable with the practice. A summary of these early voting laws can be found at Paul Gronke's excellent Early Voting Center. I discuss the bright future of early voting - among other trends - in this article available at the on-line political science journal, The Forum.

I say "approximately 30%" because there are a number of technical issues that arise when discussing these early voting statistics.

Perhaps most importantly, some mail-in ballots are dropped off on Election Day at a polling place. There were 1.1 million such drop-off ballots in California alone, which encourages this practice. There is some question as to whether or not these drop-off ballots count as early votes since they are technically cast on Election Day, though one could imagine a voter filling out their ballot the night before the election. Most states do not report their mail ballot statistics in such fine detail, so I do not attempt to make a distinction in the statistics reported here. Depending on how one would count these drop-off ballots, and depending on other details I discuss below, the percentage of early votes could be higher or lower than 30%.

Second, there are a number of states that report incomplete statistics or are not yet reporting, noted below. Sometime mid-2009, I hope to update these numbers with statistics provided by the states and localities to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission as part of their survey of election administration in the United States, known as the Election Day Survey. (I am a consultant to the EAC on the 2008 Election Day Survey and a co-author of the 2004 report.)

Third, most states report the total number of early votes cast and early votes are expressed as a percentage of the total ballots cast in these states, while a few states noted below report statistics for the number of early votes cast by office. I report for these states the total number of early votes cast for president, or what is known generically as Vote for Highest Office (a designation that has more meaning in a non-presidential election year). I report early votes as a percentage of the vote for president in these states.

Fourth, for a few states, a small number of localties have incomplete reporting. Here, the number of early votes is estimated by extrapolation.

Where available, I post the percentage of early votes that were cast by mail, rather than cast in-person at a special early voting polling place. For some states, such in-person early votes may be cast in-person at a local election administration office.

The Associated Press Elections Research and Quality Control Group graciously provided many of these statistics. All errors are my own. Please be sure to read the notes at the bottom of the page if you believe there is an error. During the run-up to the 2008 general election, I posted pre-election 2008 early voting statistics that for some states have links to early voting data and summary statistics by party registration and other demographics. I have also posted 2008 voter turnout rates, some of which data is used in the table below.

State	% Early Votes	% Mail Ballots of All Early Votes	Vote for Highest Office	Total Ballots Cast	Mail Ballots	Early In-Person Votes	Total Mail Ballot & Early In-Person Votes
United States	32.0%		131,256,905	132,580,096			42,403,308
Alabama	4.1%		2,099,819	2,105,622			87,284
Alaska	30.0%		326,197	327,341			98,159
Arizona	52.9%		2,293,475	2,320,851			1,227,267
Arkansas	37.1%	18.1%	1,086,617	1,095,958	73,640	24,519	406,139
California*	44.8%	96.0%	13,561,900	13,743,177	5,916,705	246,042	6,162,747
Colorado	78.9%	80.7%	2,401,361		1,528,458	365,237	1,893,695
Connecticut*	10.4%		1,646,792				171,551
Delaware*	5.2%		412,398				21,450
District of Columbia	10.5%		265,853	266,871			27,955
Florida	51.8%	40.0%	8,390,744	8,453,743	1,751,277	2,630,416	4,381,693
Georgia	53.1%	14.4%	3,924,440		300,016	1,784,163	2,084,179
Hawaii	38.5%	60.3%	453,568	456,064	105,866	69,660	175,526
Idaho	29.6%		655,032	667,506			197,368
Illinois*	8.7%		5,523,051	5,578,195			486,793
Indiana	23.6%		2,751,054	2,805,986			662,443
Iowa	36.0%		1,537,123	1,546,453			557,333
Kansas	34.7%		1,235,872				428,772
Kentucky	6.3%		1,826,508				115,916
Louisiana	14.7%	12.9%	1,960,761	1,979,852	37,802	254,212	292,014
Maine	31.3%	49.3%	731,163	744,456	114,981	118,378	233,359
Maryland	7.9%		2,631,596	2,651,428			208,201
Massachusetts	6.5%		3,080,985	3,102,995	202,421		202,421
Michigan*	20.4%		5,001,766	5,039,080			1,029,149
Minnesota	10.0%		2,910,369	2,921,147			292,535
Mississippi	2.9%	9.9%	1,289,856		33,689	3,715	37,404
Missouri*	11.1%		2,925,205				323,776
Montana	39.7%		491,960	497,599			197,505
Nebraska	21.8%		801,281	811,923			176,946
Nevada	66.9%	13.5%	967,848	970,019	87,337	561,772	649,109
New Hampshire	10.0%		710,970	719,643			72,056
New Jersey	7.4%		3,868,237	3,910,220			287,475
New Mexico	62.3%	33.1%	830,158	833,365	172,136	347,159	519,295
New York	3.6%		7,594,813	7,674,784			279,468
North Carolina	60.6%	8.6%	4,310,789	4,354,571	227,799	2,411,116	2,638,915
North Dakota	37.2%	64.0%	316,621	321,133	76,531	42,989	119,520
Ohio	25.2%		5,698,260	5,773,387			1,456,364
Oklahoma*	13.0%		1,462,661				189,775
Oregon	100.0%	100.0%	1,827,864	1,845,251	1,845,251		1,845,251
Pennsylvania*	3.9%		6,012,692				235,258
Rhode Island*	5.1%		469,767				23,735
South Carolina*	17.4%		1,920,969	1,927,153			334,093
South Dakota	25.2%		381,975	387,449			97,582
Tennessee	59.2%	4.1%	2,599,749	2,618,238	63,929	1,515,843	1,550,939
Texas*	66.5%		8,077,795				5,351,660
Utah*	37.1%	23.9%	952,370	971,185	85,981	274,354	360,335
Vermont	29.0%		325,046	326,822			94,668
Virginia	13.5%		3,723,260	3,753,059			506,672
Washington	89.2%		3,036,878	3,071,587			2,740,065
West Virginia	23.7%	10.6%	713,362	731,691	18,409	155,054	173,463
Wisconsin	21,2%		2,983,417				633,600
Wyoming	25.2%		254,658	256,035			64,430

* Notes:
California's numbers are compiled by Santa Barbara Clerk and County Reporter Joe Holland and include all-mail ballot precincts excluded from the California Statement of Vote.
Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, Texas and Utah are incomplete reports.
Missouri and Pennsylvania early votes are estimated.
Delaware, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Wisconsin report the number of early votes cast for president only.
Massachusetts, Mississippi and Wisconsin early votes are from the statistics reported in the U.S. Election Assistance Commission's 2008 Election Day Survey.