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Clinton rallies Iowa supporters as early voting opens

By Eric DuVall
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton speaks during a rally in New Hampshire on Wednesday. Clinton appeared in Iowa on Thursday, a state where early voting is now underway. Photo by Matthew Healey/UPI
1 of 2 | Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton speaks during a rally in New Hampshire on Wednesday. Clinton appeared in Iowa on Thursday, a state where early voting is now underway. Photo by Matthew Healey/UPI | License Photo

DES MOINES, Iowa, Sept. 29 (UPI) -- With Iowa's polls now officially open for early voting, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton made an appearance in the Hawkeye state.

In all, 37 states permit some form of early voting, either in person or by mail. In battlegrounds such as Iowa, where the UPI/CVoter state tracking poll shows she is trailing Republican Donald Trump, urging supporters to turn out early has become nearly as crucial as getting voters to the poll on Election Day.

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In 2012, four in 10 votes in Iowa were cast before Election Day -- and, in general, early votes favor Democratic candidates, whose supporters rely more on the practice than Republicans who are more likely to vote in person on Election Day.

Minority voters and young people are more likely to face hurdles to vote in person. College students are generally registered at their parents' homes, not at school. Studies show minorities are more likely to rely on public transportation and work longer and later hours, making in-person voting more difficult.

Clinton told supporters in Des Moines, Iowa, on Thursday that early voting could mean the difference between winning and losing the state.

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"We are starting to vote in Iowa today," Clinton told a rally located just down the block from an early voting site. "We have -- what? -- 40 days, 39 days left. And each and every one of you have a chance to make sure we keep our country on the right path."

Volunteers outside the rally were on hand to direct voters to the early voting location.

"Luckily, you can start today. A lot of folks don't have that opportunity across the country," she said.

All states permit absentee voting by mail, though a handful require absentee ballots to be postmarked on Election Day in order to be valid and many require voters to give a reason for requesting an absentee ballot.

Iowa is not one of them, making the early vote a crucial part of the overall get-out-the-vote operation.

As of Thursday, seven states are officially accepting ballots: Idaho, Iowa, Illinois (which also began early voting Thursday), New Jersey, Minnesota, South Dakota and Vermont. In each state, voters can request a ballot by mail, or obtain one in person at their local elections office, where they can fill it out and cast it on the same trip.

All seven are "no excuse" early voting states, meaning voters are not required to give a reason why they are voting early, as opposed to on Election Day.

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Other states that will being early voting in the near future include Maine (Oct. 9); Nebraska (Oct. 3); New Mexico (Oct. 11) and Ohio (Oct. 12).

In addition, three states, Washington, Oregon and Colorado, have all-mail voting, where ballots are sent to all voters without their needing to request them. In Washington and Colorado, counties must also provide at least one in-person polling place for voters wishing to vote in person on Election Day. In Oregon, counties must provide ballot drop sites that are open through Election Day and one in-person polling place.

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