MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin election officials are reporting a nearly 40 percent increase in early in-person absentee voting over 2020.

Early in-person absentee voting began Tuesday in the battleground state. The Wisconsin Election Commission announced that as of Friday morning, 292,702 people had voted early in person, compared to 209,665 on the morning of Friday, October 23, 2020.

The total number of absentee ballots requested was 921,832, and 715,395 were returned by mail or early voters in person.

Voters cast approximately 640,100 ballots in total in 2008; 665,340 absentee ballots in 2012; 824,736 absentee ballots in 2016; and approximately 1.9 million absentee ballots in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In-person early voting continues through Sunday, November 3rd. All absentee ballots must be received by local clerks by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day, November 5, to be counted.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump encouraged conservatives to vote early after a surge in Democratic early voting in 2020.