**Record Early Voting Surges Ahead of Election Day**

With Election Day still a week away, more than 50 million Americans have already cast their votes, according to the University of Florida's early-vote tracker. This surge in early voting indicates a high level of engagement in the electoral process, as both candidates head into their final week of campaigning.

In the 2020 election, nearly 100 million Americans voted early, either in person or by mail. This year, more than half a million Minnesotans have already cast their ballots, suggesting the state may surpass its 2016 early voting levels.

The trend is nationwide, with voting already underway in many parts of the country. CNN reports that 18 million Americans have already made their choice for the upcoming elections. Specifically, in Miami-Dade County, nearly 305,000 residents have voted, with Republicans slightly outpacing Democrats in turnout.

A September poll by NBC News found that half of registered voters plan to cast their ballots early this year. Because of the significant number of mail-in and absentee ballots, delays in vote counting are expected, potentially prolonging the announcement of results in several key swing states.

The increasing trend of early voting has shifted the electoral timeline, making "Election Day" an increasingly outdated concept. For a large part of the country, the period should perhaps be more accurately described as "election month."