Early voting(also calledpre-poll votingoradvance polling) is a process by which voters in a public election can vote prior to the scheduledelection day. Early voting can take place remotely, such as viapostal voting, or in person, usually in designated early votingpolling stations. The availability and time periods for early voting vary among jurisdictions and types of election. The goals of early voting are usually to increase voter participation and relieve congestion at polling stations on election day.

The categories of people who vote early include those who will be out of the polling area during the election period, poll workers,campaignworkers, people with medical procedures scheduled for that time, and adherents to religious commitments, among others.

The numbers of voters who vote early has increased in recent years. As unconditional (no excuse) early voting has gained ground, some critics have condemned the process as damaging to the democratic process.