(Washington, D.C.) - A new study shows a seismic shift in the procedure of casting national election ballots.

According to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, less than one-third of voters casting ballots in 2020 did so at a polling place.

It’s the first time in the survey's history that a majority of voters did not cast their ballots in person on Election Day. A big reason was the pandemic and general fears of being out in public. But the study also shows the number of mailed ballots sent to voters doubled from 2016 to 2020.

The report found turnout increased 6.7 percentage points from the last presidential election in 2016.