Half-Million Bay Staters Vote Early

Some half-million voters have already gone to the polls in Massachusetts, one week out from the official, Nov. 8, Election Day.

That's according to WGBH News, told by a Secretary of the Commonwealth spokesman Monday that "at least" 500,000, aka around 10 percent of registered voters, have already cast their ballots.

For the first time this year, voters in the Commonwealth can cast their ballot in-person up to 11 days before Election Day. Numbers so far are on par with other early voting states, where pre-Election Day turnout has been recorded as reaching around 14 percent of registered voters.

This is Massachusetts' first run at early voting, and the turnout so far underscores its popularity. In Boston alone, nearly 32,000 have already cast their vote, as of Tuesday.

Read More: What to know about Early Voting in Massachusetts

It's also a reminder that the "October surprise" revelation of additional emails connected to the FBI's probe into Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton may not deal the blow some Republicans might hope.

Massachusetts is one of 33 states that offer some form of early voting, meaning hundreds of thousands of votes were cast well before Friday's news from FBI Director James Comey. On a more local level, this means that late-coming campaigns to shift public opinion on four statewide ballot initiatives have fewer minds to change.

You still have a few days left to cast your ballot early. Find out how here, and check with your local Patch for times and locations in your town. The last day of early voting is Friday, Nov. 4.

Photo via City of Boston Elections Department