More than 70 million people have cast ballots in the US presidential election - over half the total turnout of the 2016 election - with one week to go until polling day, according to a tally from the US Elections Project.
The tally, which shows a record-breaking pace that could lead to the highest voter turnout in percentage terms in more than a century, is the latest sign of intense interest in the contest between Republican President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden.
It also highlights voters' desire to reduce their risk of exposure to Covid-19 as the pandemic regains strength heading into winter.
Democrats hold a significant advantage in early voting due to their embrace of postal voting, which Republicans have historically cast in large numbers but have shunned amid repeated and unfounded attacks by President Trump, who says the system is prone to widespread fraud.
Overall, Democrats hold roughly a two-to-one advantage in early voting numbers.
However, Republicans in recent weeks have narrowed the gap in early, in-person voting, data shows.
The high level of early voting has led Michael McDonald, the University of Florida professor who administers the US Elections Project, to predict a record voter turnout of about 150 million, representing 65% of those eligible to vote, the highest rate since 1908.
US voters have already cast far more early votes during this presidential campaign than they did in all of 2016 when they passed the 47 million mark earlier this month, data shows.
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
