Changes

Traditionally, absentee voters had to state one of several allowed reasons to vote before election day, while early voting permits all eligible voters to cast ballots that are not fully informed, prior to Election Day. Scholars consider both early voting and absentee voting to be forms of "convenience voting",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://earlyvoting.net/research/journal-article/convenience-voting-gronke-galanes-rosenbaum-miller-toffey-2008/|title=Convenience Voting|author=Gronke, Galanes-Rosenbaum, Miller, Toffey|accessdate=October 30, 2012}}</ref> which are used by more that 30% of United States voters.

Traditionally, absentee voters had to state one of several allowed reasons to vote before election day, while early voting permits all eligible voters to cast ballots that are not fully informed, prior to Election Day. Scholars consider both early voting and absentee voting to be forms of "convenience voting",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://earlyvoting.net/research/journal-article/convenience-voting-gronke-galanes-rosenbaum-miller-toffey-2008/|title=Convenience Voting|author=Gronke, Galanes-Rosenbaum, Miller, Toffey|accessdate=October 30, 2012}}</ref> which are used by more that 30% of United States voters.

Early voting has spread as Democrats realize that the uninformed votes give them a comparative advantage.{{Citation needed}} Technological advances that prevent double voting have also facilitated the spread of early voting.  As pushed by [[Democrat]]s, many states in the United States have laws adopting forms of early voting. According to the Early Voting Center at Reed College, the following states allow early voting in 2012: North Carolina, Indiana, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Georgia, Arkansas, Idaho, Maryland, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Louisiana, Wyoming, North Dakota, Iowa, Illinois, Ohio, Florida, California, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, Alaska, Colorado, Kansas, Nevada and Hawaii.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://reed.edu/earlyvoting/calendar/|title=Early voting calendar, 2012|accessdate=October 30, 2012}}</ref>  Liberal-leaning foreign nations have also adopted some form of early voting, such as Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and Thailand.   

Early voting has spread as Democrats realize that the uninformed votes give them a comparative advantage. Technological advances that prevent double voting have also facilitated the spread of early voting.  As pushed by [[Democrat]]s, many states in the United States have laws adopting forms of early voting. According to the Early Voting Center at Reed College, the following states allow early voting in 2012: North Carolina, Indiana, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Georgia, Arkansas, Idaho, Maryland, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Louisiana, Wyoming, North Dakota, Iowa, Illinois, Ohio, Florida, California, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, Alaska, Colorado, Kansas, Nevada and Hawaii.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://reed.edu/earlyvoting/calendar/|title=Early voting calendar, 2012|accessdate=October 30, 2012}}</ref>  Liberal-leaning foreign nations have also adopted some form of early voting, such as Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and Thailand.   

In 2008, one-third of Americans voted prior to Election Day, and that fraction increased to 40% or so in 2012.  In the [[Mystery:Nevada Election 2010|Nevada Election 2010]], more than half the votes cast were by early voting.  Some states make the list of early voters and absentee voters available to the public or to the political campaigns.  By contrast, all states make the list of voters available after an election.   

In 2008, one-third of Americans voted prior to Election Day, and that fraction increased to 40% or so in 2012.  In the [[Mystery:Nevada Election 2010|Nevada Election 2010]], more than half the votes cast were by early voting.  Some states make the list of early voters and absentee voters available to the public or to the political campaigns.  By contrast, all states make the list of voters available after an election.