Elections in the United States: How to avoid long lines on election day? Everything you need to know about tips and timing

With the US presidential election around the corner, Republican candidate Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris are locked in a neck-to-neck race.

A week before Election Day, Nov. 5, more than 43 million ballots have been cast in 47 states and the District of Columbia, according to data compiled by CNN, Edison Research and Catalist.

Pre-election voting in the United States is more than a quarter of the approximately 158 million votes cast in the 2020 US presidential election.

Early voting has made the election process easier by helping voters avoid these long lines and also giving more flexibility to those who may not be able to make it to the polling station on election day.

But early voting also works differently for different states. Casey Burgat, director of the Legislative Affairs Program at George Washington University said, “We just say ‘early’ as this catch-all term, but sometimes it’s months in advance, sometimes it’s a few weeks, and then (there are) even differences in (government) processes.”

As for precautions, voters should keep in mind that there will be lines at certain times at early voting locations and election day polling stations. For that, come in comfortable shoes, bring a chair if you have trouble standing, and also pack water to keep you hydrated while standing in line.

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According to the North Carolina State Board of Elections website, wait lines are typically longest at the beginning and end of the early voting period. So to avoid that, visit the poll box mid time.

In addition, voters should also check their county elections website to see in advance if they have a waiting list for polling places.

Wake County also created a wait time tracker and interactive map that allows voters to see which early voting location is closest to them with the shortest wait times.

The early voting trends cannot predict the outcome of an election, but they can provide hints about who is voting, at least for now.

(With input from agencies)