Across the nation, millions of people are already in the process of voting for the next President of the United States. The emerging popularity of early voting has changed the manner in which elections are conducted. Paul Gronke, a researcher with the Early Voting Information Center in Portland, Oregon, told the Washington Post that, "early voting, by mail or in person, is becoming more common and is likely to account for one-third of all votes cast in the November elections, up from 14 percent in 2000." Both major presidential campaigns are encouraging their supporters to vote early. Experts say that early voting does not benefit one candidate or party over another. However, candidates tend to target infrequent voters with their early voting initiatives. According to the Washington Post, "On the Democratic side, that means urban, often minority voters and students. On the Republican side, it is older voters and those in more rural areas who favor absentee ballots." Thirty-one states allow early voting without requiring the voter to provide an excuse for doing so. Other states allow voters to vote early if they have a valid reason for doing so.