Editing Early voting (section)

{{short description|Process by which electors can vote prior to the scheduled election day}}
{{About|the voting process|the American Thoroughbred racehorse|Early Voting}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{voting}}
'''Early voting''', also called '''advance polling''' or '''pre-poll voting''', is a [[convenience voting]] process by which voters in a public election can vote before a scheduled [[Election Day (politics)|election day]]. Early voting can take place remotely, such as via [[postal voting]], or in person, usually in designated early voting [[polling station]]s. The availability and time periods for early voting vary among jurisdictions and types of election. The goals of early voting are usually to increase voter participation, relieve congestion at polling stations on election day, and avoid possible discrimination against people with work and travel schedules that may effectively prohibit them from getting to the polls during the hours provided in a single election day.

In some countries, early in-person voting or postal voting (or both) are available to all voters. In other countries, only some voters (such as those who are expected to be out of the country or hospitalized on election day) are eligible to cast ballots via these methods.<ref name=Heinmaa>Thomas Heinmaa, "[https://www.idea.int/news-media/news/special-voting-arrangements-svas-europe-country-postal-early-mobile-and-proxy Special Voting Arrangements (SVAs) in Europe: In-Country Postal, Early, Mobile and Proxy Arrangements in Individual Countries]", [[International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance]] (October 19, 2020).</ref>

In addition to convenience and increased participation, early voting has proven advantageous for the smooth functioning of elections. When most voters cast their ballot on a single day, any problem can have a more damaging effect. More options to vote before Election Day provides more opportunities to identify and counteract problems including machine breakdown, cyberattack, human errors, or disinformation. When voting is spread out over several days, election officials can detect issues earlier, mitigate challenges more easily, counter false claims, and offer a greater number of options to any voters who may be impacted.<ref name=":0" />