Bellwether Maricopa County has already exceeded 2016 turnout

Maricopa County, Arizona, has already exceeded the number of people who voted in the 2016 election with several days left to go in the 2020 contest.

More than 1.63 million voters had cast their ballots in Maricopa County as of Sunday, according to the Arizona Republic. That number exceeds the total number of people who voted there in 2016 by 20,000. 

Maricopa, which encompasses Phoenix and its southwestern suburbs, is seen as a bellwether for how Arizona will swing politically in statewide elections. 

Maricopa County was the biggest county in the country President Trump won in 2016, and Democrats have put vast resources into expanding their potential in the county. 

More than 4.28 million people in Arizona have registered to vote, the Republic reported, representing a nearly 20 percent spike in voter registration since 2016. 

Several other states have shattered records for early voting in recent days, including key battlegrounds like Texas and Florida.