This article or section should be merged with early voting.

Vote banking can refer to the practice of voting before a set election date, by absentee ballots for example. This can be done on a pre-arranged individual basis or open to the voting public, as in the 2004 U.S. Presidential elections in Florida, in an attempt to ease the rush of voters on the actual date of the election. The phrase "early voting" seems to be more common in reference to this.

Vote banking can also refer to a political leader or party that attempts to appeal to a group of people to secure their vote. This stems from the perception that politicians see minorities and special interest groups as mere votes that will sway the tide of an election.

The usage seems to vary depending on context and location, though overall the term is not widespread.