Early Voting a Growing Trend in U.S.

Oct. 14, 2008 — -- The presidential election is three weeks away, but many voters have already voted for either Barack Obama or John McCain.

More than 30 states allow people to vote early, either in-person or by mail, without having to give any excuse for not waiting until Election Day, making early voting a growing trend.

As a result of these so-called "no-excuse" provisions, one third of voters will have cast ballots in person or by mail by the time Election Day comes around, predicts Paul Gronke of the Early Voting Information Center.

"Early voting has more than doubled in the last eight years," Gronke said.

In 2004, Stephen Hightower, 28, of Columbus, Ohio, wasn't among the early voters.

"I stood in line four years ago for three hours at Ohio State," Hightower told ABCNews.com.

Determined not to repeat that experience, Hightower took advantage of Ohio's new "no excuse" early voting law that allows Ohioans to vote as early as Sept. 30 for any reason.

"I went to the early voting center near Franklin County in Columbus and just went in and about 10 minutes later I had voted, so it was pretty much an in-and-out process," said Hightower, who is now the director of the Ohio League of Young Voters, one of several advocacy groups urging students and first-time voters to go to the polls early.

In 2000, about 14 percent of voters voted early, and 20 percent voted early in 2004. Early voters are predicted to surge to more than 30 percent of those casting ballots this year.

Several states, including Ohio, Georgia and parts of Kentucky and Virginia, have already begun voting. The battleground states of Florida and Colorado begin early voting next Monday.

But for some, standing in line with your neighbors to vote is part of the American political tradition.

Howard Gale, 59, of Arlington, Va., refuses to vote early.

"It just doesn't feel like voting if I don't stand in line to vote and don't go to the little booth," Gale said. "I've always voted that way and even if I'm in line for an hour, I don't care."

Gale said he could see the line to his local polling station from his and his wife's bedroom window.

"Once I figured out you don't want to be the first person in line in Arlington, you want to wait until later in the day," Gale said.