As the presidential election in the United States approaches, Republican candidate Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris are in a neck-and-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 CNN, Edison Research and Catalist.

Primary votes across the U.S. account for more than a quarter of the approximately 158 million votes cast in the 2020 U.S. presidential election.

Early voting has made the voting process easier by helping voters avoid those long lines and also provides more flexibility for those who may not be able to make it to the polling place on Election Day.

However, early voting also works differently depending on the state. Casey Burgat, director of the Legislative Affairs Program at George Washington University, said: “We just say 'early' as a catch-all term, but sometimes it's months in advance, sometimes it's a few weeks, and then (there's) even that.” “Differences in (state) processes.”

As a precautionary measure, voters should keep in mind that there will be lines at early voting polling stations and polling stations at certain times. To do this, you should wear comfortable shoes, bring a chair if you have difficulty standing, and also pack water to stay hydrated while waiting in lines.

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According to the North Carolina State Board of Elections website, lines tend to be longest at the beginning and end of the early voting period. To avoid this, visit the voting booth in the meantime.

In addition, voters should also check their county election board website in advance to see if they have a wait time tracker for voting sites.

Wake County has 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.

While early voting trends cannot predict the results of an election, they can, at least so far, provide clues about who is voting.

(With contributions from agencies)