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Early voting has gotten more popular and more political over time

Early voting this year set records nationwide, but it hasn't always been so popular or divisive.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Early voting set records nationwide this election cycle, with millions casting ballots in North Carolina and South Carolina. 

In North Carolina alone, more than 4.2 million people voted early, easily topping the previous record of 3.6 million set in 2020. In South Carolina, state officials said over 45% of registered voters took advantage of early voting. 

RELATED: Everything you need to know to vote in the Carolinas

However, early voting hasn't always been so popular. Up until recently, most Americans voted in person and on Election Day.

Early voting became a nationwide option in 1972, but 95% of voters still waited to vote on Election Day. In current times, less than half of voters cast their ballots in person. 

Not only has early voting become more popular, it's also become more politicized. Between 2004 and 2016, early voting was split pretty evenly between Democrats and Republicans. Then, in 2020, about two-thirds of mail-in ballots were for Democrat Joe Biden, while Republican Donald Trump scored two-thirds of in-person votes. 

Experts say the split may have happened after Trump criticized absentee and vote-by-mail during the 2020 election cycle. But so far in 2024, early voting appears to be split more evenly among the two major parties. 

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