Early voting kicks off in key battleground state of Wisconsin

Early voting has kicked off in Wisconsin with many turning out to cast their votes (Morry Gash/AP)

In-person early voting kicked off Tuesday across battleground Wisconsin, with former President Barack Obama and Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz hosting a rally in liberal Madison and Republicans holding events to encourage casting a ballot for Donald Trump before Election Day.

Mr Trump lost Wisconsin by just under 21,000 votes in 2020, an election that saw unprecedented early and absentee voting due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Republican former president Mr Trump and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris are expecting another razor-thin margin in Wisconsin, and both sides are pushing voters to cast their ballots early.