RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Early voting is off to a hot start in Virginia.

Data compiled by the Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP) shows that over 35,000 Virginians have already cast their ballot through Sunday, Sept. 21, a 117% increase compared to the same time in 2021 -- the last time Virginia’s three statewide offices were on the ballot.

“The early vote is becoming more a regular part of our voting exercise, so it doesn't necessarily mean that people are voting who wouldn’t normally be voting, they just might be voting earlier in the process,” Randolph-Macon Political Science Professor Rich Meagher told 8News.

Meagher said although the increase doesn’t tell us much about voter enthusiasm, it does tell us that many voters have made up their minds early in the process.

“In this hyper

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