Early Voting vs. Election Day: Which Boosts Turnout?

Everyone thinks mail voting is the magic bullet for getting people to the polls. That's wrong. The 2024 election data says something else entirely. If you want to raise turnout, focus on early in-person voting and same-day registration, not mail ballots.

The Myth of Mail Voting

In 2024, about 30.3% of voters cast ballots by mail, down from a 43% pandemic-era high in 2020 (EAC / EAVS 2024 Comprehensive Report). But turnout didn't collapse when mail voting fell. It stayed high. That's because mail voting isn't what drives turnout. It's a convenience for people who already vote. It doesn't bring in the disengaged.

The Real Turnout Drivers

Look at the states that topped the turnout charts. Minnesota led with 75.9% turnout (U.S. Elections Project / 2024 turnout). Maine hit 74.6%, Michigan 74.9%, Colorado 73.4% (UF Election Lab / turnout data). What do these states have in common? They all have early in-person voting and same-day registration. They don't rely on mail. They make it easy to vote in person, early, without a stamp.

Early In-Person vs. Mail: The Head-to-Head

Compare early in-person voting to mail voting. In 2024, 35.2% of voters cast ballots early in person, while 30.3% voted by mail (EAC / EAVS 2024 Comprehensive Report). Early in-person voting was more popular, and it's more effective. Why? Because it creates a social event. People go to a polling place, see their neighbors, and feel part of something. Mail voting is solitary. It's easy to ignore.

Youth Turnout: The Real Test

Youth turnout tells the same story. Minnesota's 18- and 19-year-olds voted at a 60% rate, the highest of any state, and CIRCLE links that to automatic voter registration and pre-registration policies (CIRCLE / 2024 youth turnout estimate). These are policies that make registration automatic and easy, not mail voting. Youth turnout nationally was 47% in 2024, down from 50% in 2020 (CIRCLE / 2024 youth turnout estimate). But states with strong early in-person voting and same-day registration held up better.

• Minnesota: 75.9% turnout, same-day registration
• Michigan: 74.9% turnout, early in-person voting
• Hawaii: 50.3% turnout, mostly mail voting

What Actually Works

If you want to raise turnout, don't pour resources into mail voting. Push for early in-person voting and same-day registration. These policies have a track record. They work for everyone, especially young people and minorities. The data is clear: early in-person voting is the turnout booster we should be fighting for.

Bottom Line

The best move for raising turnout is to expand early in-person voting and same-day registration. Mail voting is a convenience, not a cure. The states that lead the nation in turnout know this. It's time the rest of us caught up.

Sources

• U.S. Elections Project - https://www.electproject.org/
• UF Election Lab - https://election.lab.ufl.edu/data-archive/
• EAC / EAVS 2024 - https://www.eac.gov/sites/default/files/2025-07/2024_EAVS_Report_508.pdf
• CIRCLE (Tufts) - https://circle.tufts.edu/latest-research/new-data-nearly-half-youth-voted-2024