Just days away from the US presidential election, in which Republican Donald Trump will face Democratic rival Kamala Harris, nearly 30 million people have already cast their ballots by early voting. The majority of polling stations across the state are seeing a steady flow of voters in what many believe is a closely contested race.

Early voting aims to provide greater convenience and reduce long lines on Nov. 5 by allowing citizens to vote in person or by mail before Election Day.

India Today visited early voting centers in Virginia’s Fairfax County, where voter turnout was high; Both Republicans and Democrats remain hopeful for a positive outcome.

“Most people say this is an important election and they will definitely vote, a few even say they would be crazy not to vote this election,” said a volunteer outside the voting booth, adding that turnout was steady.

Supporters of both Trump and Harris set up booths outside polling stations to offer last-minute research and guidance to voters. Here, voters receive a sample ballot and an overview of the voting process before entering the booth.

In Fairfax County, a traditionally Democratic county, many residents noted that this election was particularly close.

A Republican supporter who voted for Donald Trump shared that he believes he has what it takes to be commander in chief. “Kamala Harris is not suitable for this role; “Trump is that,” he said. He acknowledged that the race was tight but claimed that “overall, things are looking up” for the Republican side.

According to him, the biggest problems in this election are inflation and immigration. “The cost of everything has gone up. Car insurance has gone up by 700 percent, and the prices of food, gasoline, everything have gone up. Another issue is immigration; people are scared. It feels like an invasion with thousands of people entering uncontrolled. This scares people,” the Republican supporter said.

Lee Jordy, who voted for Harris, also commented on the election: “It will be a tight fight. I’m really concerned about the state of our union and I want to protect our democracy. “I think Kamala Harris is compassionate and cares about every American, while Trump is focused on big things.”

Another voter, Johny Xavier, also sees Kamala Harris as a viable candidate because she “does a great job.”

But another voter expressed a different view, saying people might prefer Republican candidates “because they know that when the government manages the least, the economy works better and the government will interfere less in their lives.”

EARLY VOTING PROCESS

Once early voting opens in a state, voters can go to the relevant polling stations to cast their votes. They must verify their identity according to state-specific requirements.

The voter meets with the election officials at the ballot box and receives the ballot paper. They can then proceed to designated areas to mark their selections.

Paper ballots are generally used to vote in the USA. In most cases, voters mark their ballots by hand, while in some cases they use a ballot marking device to print out the ballot paper for delivery.

After marking the ballot paper, the voter delivers the ballot paper according to the instructions given by the ballot box personnel. For absentee ballots, voters can drop them off in a designated box or mail them. These ballots are securely stored until they are counted on Election Day.

Each state has specific rules and timelines for early voting.