US poised for record voter turnout with over 25m ballots already cast

A RECORD number of votes are set to be cast in the US presidential election with turnout the highest since 1908, according to experts.

More than 25million Americans have already cast ballots, a record-shattering avalanche driven in part by Democrat enthusiasm.

Figures from The Election Project showed registered Democrats outvoting registered Republicans by more than two to one. Already, the number of votes cast is more than 16 per cent of the total in the 2016 presidential election.

Experts predicted around 150million people may end up voting, eclipsing previous figures. That would be a turnout rate of about 65 per cent, the highest for 112 years. Michael McDonald, a political scientist at the University of Florida, said early voting was 10 times higher than at the same stage four years ago.

Traditionally, Republicans rather than Democrats have tended to favour voting early. But amid repeated assertions by Donald Trump about potential voter fraud, many Republicans are holding off until election day on Nov 3.

There is still the possibility the turnout could be suppressed by bad weather on election day, or coronavirus restrictions at polling stations deterring voters. That would damage Mr Trump’ chances.

Of the early voters, 82 per cent cast their ballots through the post, and 18 per cent in person. In the key state of Pennsylvania, 437,000 mail-in ballots have already been sent in, and more than 75 per cent were from registered Democrats.

There have been hours-long lines for in-person early voting in key states, including Georgia and North Carolina.

With an average of polls showing Joe Biden nine points ahead, Mr Trump joked that he would leave the country if he lost.

The president told a rally in Georgia: “I shouldn’t joke because you know what? Running against the worst candidate in the history of presidential politics puts pressure on me.

“Could you imagine if I lose? My whole life, what am I going to do? I’m going to say ‘I lost to the worst candidate in the history of politics’. I’m not going to feel so good. Maybe I’ll have to leave the country? I don’t know.”

Some Republican senators continued to distance themselves from Mr Trump as they fought to keep a 53-47 majority in the upper chamber of the legislature.

Ben Sasse, a Republican senator from Nebraska, told constituents in a telephone call, there could be a “Republican bloodbath”. He accused the president of “ignoring Covid, selling out our allies, spending like a drunken sailor, mocking evangelicals, and flirting with white supremacists”. He also claimed the president “kisses dictators’ butts”.