US Presidential Elections: Early in-person votes kicked off in three states
The first early in-person votes have been cast in the US on Friday, six weeks before election day on November 5.
Polling sites opened for long queues of voters in Minnesota, South Dakota, and Virginia, and about a dozen more states will follow by mid-October.
According to the Associated Press, local election directors have been dispatched across the country to protect their workers and polling places, and ensure the integrity of ballots and voting procedures, given that in the 2020 presidential elections, officials and poll workers have faced harassment and even death threats.
In parallel, federal authorities are still investigating suspicious packages that contained “an unknown substance,” sent to election officials in over 15 states, including Virginia, in recent days.
“If I could wave a magic wand in this room right now, I would wish for two things: Between now and November 5th, I want to see high turnout and low drama,” Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon said during a news conference.
As the voting process had approached, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump told a gathering of police officers last Friday that they should “watch for the voter fraud,” which is reminiscent of the 2020 elections where he accused the Democrats of cheating without providing evidence.
