Why are so many voting Early? (voters, polls, school, party)

[WannaliveinGreenville]

In yet another nation-defining election, South Carolina voters are running to the polls in droves.

And it's not even Election Day.

As of 4:30 p.m. today, more than 375,000 absentee votes have been cast in the state, according to the S.C. Election Commission.

In 2008, more than 340,000 absentee ballots were cast. Absentee votes made up nearly 18 percent of all votes cast.





My question is: Is this common?

If not, why are so many voting early?

[jfkIII]

They think "early" is a third-party candidate.

I'm not voting early...I'm voting Romney.

[urbanlife78]

I like the idea of early voting, mail-in voting, and such because it makes voting easier and more convenient for everyone to exercise their right to vote. I am all for any way to get more people to the polls, currently only about half the amount of age people vote and that percentage needs to be much higher than that every election.

[NewVoter]

Not sure why other people vote early, but I voted early (on a Saturday) because on any given Tuesday I get my son ready for school in the morning, then I do cross-guard duty at our school crossing, then I have to work. In the afternoon I pick up my kid from school, take him to his piano lesson, back home by 6 and cook dinner. Then we are getting ready for the next day - kids do homework, I may finish some work stuff, since I leave earlier on Tuesdays. You know, pretty normal stuff working parents do every day. No time for me to take an hour to go to the poll and vote.

[uggabugga]

I've been wondering the same thing. I don't recall such hordes of early voters before.