Nearly 9 million have cast ballots as early voting starts across the US

Election Day may be a few weeks away, but in several states, including key battlegrounds, voters are casting their ballot before then through early voting.

As of Oct. 17, over 8.8 million people have cast their ballot early, according to data from the University of Florida's Election Lab.

Election data has shown that the number of voters who choose to cast their ballot early has steadily risen and for the first time surpassed Election Day voting during the 2020 election.

Some states allow voters who are casting an absentee ballot to drop off their paper ballot to an approved location or election office in person prior to Nov. 5.

Other states and the District of Columbia will have polling sites where voters can cast their ballot on election machines in the weeks leading up to Election Day.

Here are the dates for early in-person voting.

Political science experts say early voting helps decrease long lines on Election Day and gives more options to voters.