Election Day is coming fast. Graphics show how early voting has gotten easier since 2000

We're less than 100 days away from Election Day, but voters have the chance to pick their presidential candidate even sooner with early voting.

Data shows that casting a ballot in America has gotten easier since 2000, with a majority of adults now living in a state that offers voting before Election Day, according to the Center for Election Innovation and Research.

Expansive voting laws that increase access to absentee voting with mail-in ballots have become commonplace. During the COVID-19 pandemic, over 100 million Americans voted early in the 2020 presidential election, the Washington Post reported.

Early voting is beneficial for people who are immunocompromised, those with difficulty accessing transportation, or anyone unable to physically vote in person on Election Day. No matter the reason for casting a ballot early, it provides flexibility to potential voters and increases voter participation, experts say.

Businesses and nonprofits across the nation advocate for early voting with "Vote Early Day." Similar to other themed days, such as National Voter Registration Day or National Day of Giving, Vote Early Day encourages Americans to stay educated on their state's laws related to early voting.

“If you're a first-time voter, going to the polls for the first time could be intimidating or might be confusing,” Jennifer Park Stout, vice president of global public policy at Snapchat, previously told USA TODAY.

"Giving our users, and our community, two moments to vote, whether it be on Election Day or during this early voting period, is just an especially powerful tool," Stout continued. "Especially for young people who can be in class or might be working or have other plans for Election Day. It really is providing them with additional tools to exercise their civic responsibility."

As Kamala Harris and Donald Trump duke it out these next few months, here's what you need to know about the current state of early voting, how it has changed in the U.S., and states that are challenging the practice:

Majority of states offer some form of early voting

As of 2024, 47 states and Washington, D.C. offer early in-person voting, a report from the Center for Election Innovation and Research found. Of these jurisdictions, 37 allow voters to mail in their ballots without requiring a reason.

The number of states that offer early-in person voting to all U.S. citizens is up from the 2000 general election, when only 24 states had that option. These 24 states accounted for about 40% of the citizen voting age population, the center reported.

Washington, D.C. and the other 47 states that offer early in-person voting account for about 97% of the current citizen voting age population in the U.S., according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Twelve of the 14 states that do not offer mail-in voting for all citizens have Republican-led legislatures, NPR previously reported. This limitation on early voting reflects a trend of some southern states tightening who can vote absentee and who can turn in absentee ballots.

Since 2020, 12 state legislatures passed new laws stiffening requirements for in-person voter ID. And, under pressure from some Republicans who falsely claim the 2020 election was stolen through fraud, some states are adjusting how they remove voters from the rolls, USA TODAY previously reported.

Early voting grows in popularity

Voting early, either by mail or in person, has grown in popularity since 2000. The U.S. Census Bureau found that between 2000 and 2022, the share of voters who mailed in their ballots increased from 10.2% of voters to 31.8%.

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During the COVID-19 pandemic, early voting spiked, with 69% of voters casting their ballot before Election Day. In 2022, about half of all voting citizens voted before Election Day.

Voting access: Which states passed new election laws in 2024?

Which states passed new voter access laws?

New laws impacting voting rights − some expanding access to voting and others making it more difficult to vote − are taking place in key battleground states across the country.

Ten states passed laws since the 2020 presidential election shortening the window to apply for absentee, or mail-in, ballots, creating a new administrative hurdle for voters.

Another eight states have limited the availability of ballot drop boxes. These include the swing states of Georgia and North Carolina, along with states with competitive downballot races including Iowa, Ohio, and Florida. 

Early voting: 100 days until the election, but some can vote sooner.

Since the beginning of the year, at least 11 states have passed 14 laws that expand access to voting. Virginia, Washington and Oregon each passed two new laws, the Brennan Center for Justice reported in their 2024 voting laws roundup.

Contributing: Rebecca Morin, Victor Hagan, Erin Mansfield, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Early voting: Graphics show big changes since 2000 election