[Report] US Presidential Election D-8 On Site... Early Voting Enthusiasm Unstopped by Cold

Orange Town Suburb in New York State Sees Long Lines on Second Day of Early Voting
Large Manhattan Polling Sites in New York City Had Kilometers-Long Queues the Day Before
"Can't Trust Mail Voting"...Voters Avoid Election Day, Opt for Early Voting
Already 58.6 Million Early Votes Cast...Total Votes Expected to Reach 150 Million

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] "I'm glad I came to vote today. It took me two hours, but my neighbor who voted yesterday said it took four hours."

On the morning of the 25th (local time), voters waited for their turn in front of an early voting site set up in Orange Town, Rockland County, New York State, USA. New York State began early voting on the 24th ahead of the presidential election on the 3rd of next month. Despite the chilly weather, the line of voters continued, resulting in several hours of waiting to cast their votes.

On the morning of the 25th (local time) at 10 a.m., a long line stretched in front of the Orange Town Town Hall in Rockland County, north of New York City. Voters had come out to cast their early votes ahead of the November 3 presidential election. On this day, the temperature suddenly dropped, making it feel cold.

New York State, including New York City, began its first-ever early voting from the 24th through the 1st of next month. On the first day, the entire state, including New York City, experienced significant congestion due to voters coming out to vote. At Madison Square Garden in Manhattan and Barclays Center in Brooklyn, both converted into polling stations, lines stretched for several kilometers.

The suburban area of New York City, Orange Town, was no different. On the first day, it took 4 to 5 hours to vote. It was similar to the scene when the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), which had been closed for about four months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, reopened and lines several kilometers long formed. However, unlike the DMV lines where faces were full of irritation, the faces of voters lining up at the polling stations were calm. They showed a willingness to willingly take the time to vote.

People in their 80s stood in line leaning on canes, and many brought chairs to sit while waiting in line.

Carol Haspel, a white woman, said, "I came an hour before the polling station opened. It took two hours to vote, but I don't regret it. Probably on the official election day, November 3, there will be even longer lines." Another voter who wished to remain anonymous responded to the question, "Why do you stand in long lines instead of using convenient mail-in voting?" by saying, "In-person voting is much safer."

Shane Wright also said the reason for early voting was, "I want my vote to be counted accurately." Wright's concern stemmed from the fact that the results of the New York State primary election held by mail-in voting in June were only confirmed in August.

Many voters also submitted their mail-in ballots directly at the polling stations. Although ballot collection boxes were placed in various locations, these voters did not hesitate to make the effort to come to the polling stations. Due to repeated damage to ballot collection boxes, they were worried that their 'one vote' might disappear.

On this day as well, a fire suspected to be arson occurred at a ballot collection box set up outside the Boston Public Library in Massachusetts. About 120 ballots were damaged as a result. Boston Mayor Martin Walsh lamented the fire, calling it "a disgrace to democracy and a crime against voters fulfilling their civic duty."

This is not the first incident of damage to presidential ballot collection boxes. A week ago, someone deliberately set fire to a ballot collection box installed in front of a library in the Los Angeles area, prompting an investigation by judicial authorities.

Since New York State leans strongly Democratic, the outcome is not greatly affected. However, the reactions of voters can be seen as a key to understanding the enthusiasm for early voting spreading across the United States. Both President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden emphasize early voting. Despite his negative stance on mail-in voting, President Trump voted early in Florida a day earlier, emphasizing that it is "much safer" and encouraging his supporters to vote early.

The biggest feature of early voting is that the counting is done on election day. Mail-in ballots are included in the count if postmarked on election day, so it inevitably takes longer than in-person voting. To decide the outcome quickly, many votes must be secured on election day and through early in-person voting.

According to the Associated Press, as of this day, the number of early votes cast is 58.6 million. This has already surpassed the mail-in and early voting numbers of 2016. Analysis shows that not only Democrats but also Republican supporters are heading to polling stations. The AP predicts that more than 150 million people will vote in this election, forecasting the highest turnout since the 1908 presidential election.