Hillary Clinton may not be accumulating the type of early-vote advantage her campaign wanted, but she continues to maintain an apparent edge over Donald Trump, with roughly a quarter of all expected ballots cast in the 2016 election.
The Democrat's campaign once hoped to bank substantial votes from Democrats in North Carolina and Florida before Election Day. Both are must-win states for Donald Trump.
But data about the early vote suggest she's not doing as well as President Barack Obama in 2012. Ballot requests from likely supporters have been weak in parts of the Midwest, and African-American turnout has fallen, too.
Still, the tens of millions of early votes cast also point to strength from Democratic-leaning Latino voters, potentially giving Clinton a significant advantage in Nevada and Colorado. With more than half the votes already cast in those states, Democrats are matching if not exceeding their successful 2012 pace.
Early voting - by mail and at polling stations - is underway in 37 states. More than 31 million votes have been cast, representing nearly 25 per cent of the total votes expected nationwide if turnout is similar to 2012. In all, more than 46 million people - or as much as 40 per cent of the electorate - are expected to vote before Tuesday.
The results of those votes won't be known until polls close next week. But early voting data - party affiliation, race and other details - are being carefully examined for clues about the ballots that have been cast so far.
Meanwhile authorities are investigating the burning of a black community church in Mississippi that was also grafittied with a pro-Trump slogan as a hate crime.
Greenville Fire Chief Ruben Brown Sr told a news conference that investigators had determined the fire at Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church was "intentionally set."
"We're investigating this as a hate crime," Greenville Police Chief Delando Wilson told a news conference early on Wednesday.
Greenville Mayor Errick Simmons called the arson a "heinous, hateful, cowardly act."
"We consider it a hate crime ... because of the political message which we believe was intended to interfere with worship and intimidate voters."
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